A pea plant is heterozygous (Aa) for seed color and heterozygous (Bb) for seed shape. Which statements are correct according to Mendel's principle of independent assortment? Select all that apply. a. A gamete that contains the dominant allele for seed color is equally likely to contain the dominant or the recessive allele for seed shape. b. A gamete that contains the dominant allele for seed color must also contain the dominant allele for seed shape. c. Possible gamete genotypes are AB or ab; each is equally likely to occur. d. A gamete that contains the dominant allele for seed color must also contain the recessive allele for seed shape. e. Each gamete will contain either a seed-color allele or a seed-shape allele, but not both.

A is correct

Explanation:

Mendel's law of independent assortment states that alleles of a gene get separated or sorted into gametes independently of the alleles of

the other gene. In this case, two genes are involved, one coding for seed color (A) and the other for seed shape (B). Alleles A and B are dominant over alleles a and b respectively. Hence, a pea plant heterozygous for both genes will have a genotype AaBb.

According to Mendel's law of independent assortment, alleles A and a will randomly sort into gametes independently of alleles B and b. This will result in the production of four equally likely gametes with genotypes: AB, Ab, aB and ab. This shows that the gamete that receives the A allele will equally be likely to contain either B or b allele. The same applies for a allele as well.

Options B and D are wrong because it is not a must it occurs, it is just a possibility or likelihood that it does.

Option C is wrong because four equally likely combination of gametes are possible not two.

Option E is wrong because it does not conform to the law of independent assortment, in which both genes must be represented in each gamete.