What does the law of independent assortment state?

The law of independent assortment states that genes for different traits segregate independently of one another during the formation of gametes. This principle means that the segregation of alleles for one trait is not influenced by the segregation of alleles for another trait. Consequently, when gametes are produced, the combination of alleles that end up in each gamete is determined randomly from the existing alleles in the organism, allowing for genetic variation among offspring.

This concept is pivotal in genetics because it helps explain the diversity observed in traits among individuals. For example, if we consider a dihybrid cross (involving two traits), the combination of traits in the offspring will follow different patterns depending on how the genes assort into gametes independently. Thus, the offspring can exhibit combinations of traits from both parents, rather than being bound to fixed combinations.