Biology: How Life Works
Biology: How Life Works
3rd Edition
ISBN: 9781319017637
Author: James Morris, Daniel Hartl, Andrew Knoll, Melissa Michael, Robert Lue, Andrew Berry, Andrew Biewener, Brian Farrell, N. Michele Holbrook
Publisher: Macmillan Higher Education
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Chapter 15.5, Problem 12SAQ
Summary Introduction

To explain:

The reason for the possibility that there are multiple different alleles in a population and yet any individual can have only two alleles.

Introduction:

Meiosis is a type of cell division that results in the creation of four haploid daughter cells in which chromosome number is reduced by half. These daughter cells are genetically distinct same as gamete formation. Mendel explained the Law or principle of independent assortment, which is stated as the alleles present on different chromosomes will be distributed randomly to individual gametes.

Expert Solution & Answer
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Explanation of Solution

Law of independent assortment states that:

1. Each pair of the factors assorts or segregates independently of the other pairs of genes.

2. All possible combinations of the factors can occur in the gametes.

When the cell division occurs, its DNA divided twice to produce four gametes, through the process of meiosis. Most of the body cells are diploids as they have two copies of each chromosome, thourgh the process of mitosis, while gametes are haploid in nature as they have one copy of each chromosome due to the process oh meiosis. During the cross of two gametes, the daughter cell is produced diploid in nature. This diploid daughter cell recieves one copy of each chromosomes from each parent, resulting in the same number of chromosomes as that of the parents. There are multiple allelic forms of a trait present in a population, but every gene has two copies alleles, either dominant or recessive traits depending on their phenotypic characters.

The homologues and the alleles they carry, segregate independently during gamete formation. Therefore, all the possible combinations of chromosomes and alleles occur in the gamete during the process of meiosis.

Conclusion

The multiple alleles are present in a population for a single trait but any single individual can only have two copies of the chromosomes, hence they have two allelic genes present on the both the chromosomes due to the process of meiosis.

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