An exception to Mendel’s law isa)Independent assortmentb)Linkage...
The exception to Mendel's law mentioned in the options provided is B: Linkage.
Mendel's laws of inheritance, also known as Mendelian inheritance, describe the patterns by which traits are passed from parents to offspring. These laws include the law of independent assortment, dominance, and the principle of purity of gametes.
The law of independent assortment states that different genes for different traits segregate independently during the formation of gametes. This means that the inheritance of one trait does not influence the inheritance of another trait.
Dominance refers to the concept that one allele of a gene can mask or dominate the expression of another allele, resulting in a phenotype that reflects the dominant allele. The recessive allele is only expressed in the absence of the dominant allele.
The principle of purity of gametes, also known as the law of segregation, states that during gamete formation, the alleles for a trait separate and end up in different gametes. This ensures that each gamete carries only one allele for each gene.
However, the exception to Mendel's laws is linkage. Linkage occurs when two or more genes are located close to each other on the same chromosome. These genes tend to be inherited together as a unit, breaking the law of independent assortment. This happens because the likelihood of recombination, the shuffling of genetic material between homologous chromosomes during meiosis, is reduced when genes are close together. Therefore, linked genes do not assort independently and are more likely to be inherited together as a package.