Question

which of mendels laws best explains why an organism with a heterozygous genotype will show a dominant phenotype?
a law of dominance
b law of independent assortment
c law of segregation
d chromosome theory of inheritance

Explanation:

To determine which of Mendel's laws explains why a heterozygous organism shows a dominant phenotype, we analyze each option:

• Option A (Law of Dominance): This law states that in a heterozygous genotype (having one dominant and one recessive allele), the dominant allele will be expressed in the phenotype, while the recessive allele is masked. This directly relates to the question's scenario.
• Option B (Law of Independent Assortment): This law pertains to the independent segregation of different gene pairs during gamete formation, not to the expression of dominant vs. recessive alleles in a single gene's heterozygous state.
• Option C (Law of Segregation): This law explains how alleles separate during gamete formation, not how dominant alleles are expressed in the phenotype.
• Option D (Chromosome Theory of Inheritance): This theory relates chromosomes to the transmission of genetic information but does not specifically explain the expression of dominant phenotypes in heterozygotes.

Answer:

A. Law of Dominance