What does it mean when traits are said to assort independently?

When traits are said to assort independently, it signifies that they segregate randomly during gamete formation. This concept arises from Mendel's law of independent assortment, which states that alleles of different genes segregate into gametes independently of one another. This means that the inheritance of one trait does not influence the inheritance of another.

For instance, consider two traits controlled by different genes, like seed shape and seed color in pea plants. If these traits assort independently, the combination of traits in the resulting offspring can vary widely, leading to numerous genetic combinations. This random assortment is a fundamental principle of genetic variability, allowing for a diverse range of phenotypes in the population.

This principle becomes evident when analyzing dihybrid crosses, where two traits are tracked simultaneously. The offspring exhibit a phenotypic ratio that reflects the independent assortment of the traits involved. In contrast, traits that assort together or are linked would not show such variability.