What is Mendel's first law about?

Mendel's first law, known as the Law of Segregation, refers specifically to how alleles segregate during the formation of gametes. According to this law, each organism carries two alleles for each trait, one inherited from each parent. During gamete formation (e.g., through meiosis), these alleles segregate so that each gamete carries only one allele for each trait. This means that the combinations of alleles in offspring are the result of the random fusion of gametes from two parents.

The idea that gametes combine randomly in forming offspring highlights the randomness of genetic assortment and the importance of probability in inheritance patterns. This foundational concept in genetics explains how traits can be inherited in different combinations, laying the groundwork for understanding genetic variation.

Other options do not accurately represent Mendel's first law. The notion that traits are inherited only from one parent is misleading since both parents contribute to the genetic make-up of the offspring. The statement about different alleles always breeding true misrepresents the concept of dominant and recessive traits. Lastly, the claim that genes are dominant over all traits is incorrect, as dominance varies among alleles and is not a universal principle applied in every case.