Q1. [2] medium initial-understanding
When Mendel's F1 tall round-seeded pea plants were self-pollinated, some F2 offspring showed combinations of traits not seen in either parent plant. What principle of inheritance does this demonstrate?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 01:02 · grounding rag
Model Answer
This demonstrates Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment. When F1 tall round-seeded plants were self-pollinated, F2 offspring showed new combinations — tall wrinkled and short round — because the traits for height and seed shape are inherited independently of each other, allowing factors (genes) to recombine freely during reproduction.
Source: Chapter 8, Section 8.2.2
---
Explanation
- The key phrase in the question is "combinations not seen in either parent" — this is the hallmark of Independent Assortment, not just Dominance/Recessiveness.
- Examiners expect you to name the law, explain it means traits are inherited separately, and give the new combinations (tall wrinkled / short round) as evidence.
- Don't confuse this with the Law of Segregation (which explains dominant/recessive in monohybrid crosses). Dihybrid = Independent Assortment.