Question

State Mendel's First Law, the Law of Segregation and what does the law mean in terms of the gametes produced by an individual? Explain how the behavior of chromosomes in meiosis provides the basis of the law of segregation.

Answer 1

Answer:

Mendel's First Law of Segregation:

• Based on Mendel's First law of segregation, each individual has two factors for each trait. These two alleles for a heritable trait separate (segregate) during gamete formation and each gamete receives only one copy.
• Homologous chromosomes separate during meiosis into different gametes and each allele has equal probability of segregating into any gamete. Therefore, each gamete receives one allele for any given trait.

What does it means in terms of the gametes produced by an individual:

• It means that during the formation of gamete (eggs or sperms), each allele for a trait separates so that each gamete receives only one allele. At fertilization, offspring receives one allele for each gene from each parent. Each diploid cell contains 2 copies of a gene. Germ cells that are produced through meiosis contain only a single copy of the gene.

How the behavior of chromosomes in meiosis provides the basis of the law of segregation:

• Segregation of homologous chromosomes occur during Anaphase I of Meiosis. In this stage, the homologous chromosomes move to opposite poles of the cell with the help of spindle fibers. Paternal and Maternal chromosomes of each pair of homologous chromosome then separates and therefore each parent contributes one allele for a specific trait to the offspring.