The diagram shows a cross between two plants.

Question

Gregor Mendel proposed laws to determine how alleles from sex cells created during meiosis could be combined. Which of these laws is BEST shown in the diagram, and why?

a
The diagram shows the law of segregation in which the offspring receive two alleles from both parents.
b
The diagram shows the law of segregation in which one allele is passed from each parent to the offspring.
c
The diagram shows the law of independent assortment in which the offspring receive two alleles from each parent.
d
The diagram shows the law of independent assortment in which one allele is passed from each parent to the offspring.

Answer 1

The law that is BEST shown in the diagram is:

b. The diagram shows the law of segregation in which one allele is passed from each parent to the offspring.

Explanation: The law of segregation states that during the formation of gametes (sex cells), the two alleles for a trait separate so that each gamete will only carry one allele for each trait. This means that when offspring are formed, they receive one allele from each parent. The law of independent assortment, on the other hand, refers to how different genes independently separate from one another when reproductive cells develop, which is not directly implied by the singular trait-focused context of the question.