Law of Independent Assortment

Introduction to Experiment

In genetic research, 64 beads are used to represent alleles. This enables the investigation of allele combinations as well as the determination of offspring ratios. 64 beads additionally ensure correct conclusions and minimise errors.

Experimental Procedure	Description
Four separate beakers are to be taken and filled with 64 beads of each colour.	The step represents each bead as an allele of a gene, with yellow beads for yellow seeds, red beads for red flowers, green beads for green seeds, and white beads for white flowers. This step also represents the independent assortment of alleles during gamete formation.
The beakers containing yellow and red coloured beads should be placed on the left side and those with green and white beads should be placed on the right side.	The experiment represents a dihybrid cross, crossing two parental pea plants (YYRR, yyrr) with contrasting forms of different characters.
The beads in the beakers should be stirred using a pen.	The step represents the segregation of alleles so that during gamete formation, each gamete has an equal chance of receiving only one allele for each trait.
Place one yellow, green, red, and white beads from each beaker on a napkin. Repeat until all coloured beads are used, forming 64 four-bead groups.	The step represents the formation of 64 F₁ generation individuals exhibiting yellow-seed and red-flower phenotypes. All F₁ individuals have a heterozygous YyRr genotype. Further, it is assumed that half of the 4-bead clusters are male and the remaining half are female.
The next step involves placing 32 red and white beads in beaker 1 and 32 yellow and 32 green beads in beakers. Remaining 32 red and 32 white beads III and 32 yellow and 32 green beads in a beaker IV.	The placing of beads in separate beakers demonstrates the independent assortment of alleles during gamete formation. The F₂ generation is formed by crossing these individuals from the F₁ generation.
In all four beakers, the beads are stirred with the help of a pen.	This demonstrated step represents the segregation of alleles
In the next step, students are allowed to pick and place beads from beaker I, III, II, and IV into their palms, creating a four-bead group. The process continues until all beads are exhausted, resulting in 64 four-bead clusters.	The step represents crossing F₁ individuals and producing 64 F₂ individuals, each represented by 4 beads. The experimental phenotypic and genotypic ratios verify the independent assortment law.

FAQs on Independent Assortment Law

Q.1: Define the law of independent assortment.

Ans: According to the law of independent assortment, the segregation of allelic pair during gamete production is independent of the segregation of the other pair.

Q.2: What are the reasons for the independent assortment of alleles?

Ans: The law of independent assortment is related to meiosis because it describes the process through which chromosomes randomly move to different poles during meiosis. After meiosis, a gamete will have 23 chromosomes, but independent assortment implies that each gamete will have one of many distinct chromosome combinations. The physical basis for the law of independent assortment appears during meiosis I of gamete production when homologous pairs line up in random orientations at the centre of the cell to split.

Q.3: What are the outcomes of the independent assortment of alleles?

Ans: Independent assortment promotes genetic variety, which is significant for two reasons. The first advantage is that it permits the development of new traits, which are essential for environmental adaptation. Second, it raises the likelihood that a particular individual will be able to endure and reproduce, so ensuring the survival of the species.

Q.4: Why were 64 beads taken to verify the law of independent assortment of alleles?

Ans: 64 beads are taken to verify the law of independent assortment because it is the number of possible combinations of two different traits in a diploid organism. For example, if you are looking at the traits of seed colour (yellow or green) and flower colour (red or white), there are 64 possible combinations of these two traits.