Independent Assortment

Definition

Independent assortment is a principle stating that genes for different traits can segregate independently during the formation of gametes.

Analogy

Imagine you're getting dressed in the dark and you grab socks from your drawer without looking. The sock you pick for your right foot doesn't affect which sock you'll pick for your left foot - they're chosen independently. That's how independent assortment works with genes!

Related terms

Mendel’s Laws: These are principles about inheritance proposed by Gregor Mendel, including law of segregation and law of independent assortment.

Meiosis: This is the process where one cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half the original amount of genetic information.

Genetic Recombination: This is the production of offspring with combinations of traits differing from either parent due to independent assortment.