Law of Segregation states which of the following?

• A. Alleles on the same chromosome are always inherited together
• B. Gametes receive a mixture of parental alleles
• C. Each genetic trait is produced by a pair of alleles which separate during reproduction
• D. Environmental factors alter allele separation

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is how allele pairs separate when reproductive cells form. For each gene, organisms carry two alleles, and during gamete formation these two alleles segregate so that every gamete gets only one allele for that gene. When fertilization occurs, the offspring then receives one allele from each parent, restoring the pair in the new individual. That’s why the statement “each genetic trait is produced by a pair of alleles which separate during reproduction” is the best description of this process. For example, a plant with two different alleles for height will produce gametes with either the tall allele or the short allele, not both, and fertilization can combine those alleles in new ways. The idea here is the separation of alleles during the formation of gametes, not inheritance of linked alleles, mixing of parental alleles in a single gamete, or environmental factors altering how alleles are separated.