What does the principle of independent assortment state?

The principle of independent assortment states that alleles for different traits segregate independently during the formation of gametes. This concept comes from Mendelian genetics and is crucial for understanding how traits are inherited. During meiosis, the process that creates gametes, pairs of alleles for different genes are distributed to gametes independently of one another. This means that the inheritance of one trait will not affect the inheritance of another trait, assuming the genes are located on different chromosomes or are far apart on the same chromosome.

For example, if you consider two traits, such as seed shape and seed color in pea plants, the allele a plant receives for seed shape does not influence the allele it receives for seed color. This independent segregation leads to a variety of combinations in offspring, which is why genetic diversity exists in sexually reproducing organisms. This principle is fundamental in predicting the outcomes of genetic crosses, as it allows for the calculation of probabilities for various trait combinations.