Question

Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Mendel's law of segregation states that the two alleles for a heritable character segregate during gamete formulation.
Statement II: Mendel's law of segregation states that the two alleles for a non-heritable character segregate during gamete formulation.
In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

• A. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
• B. Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
• C. Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
• D. Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct

Hint:

Mendelian genetics deals strictly with inherited/heritable traits. Any statement associating Mendelian laws with "non-heritable" traits is biologically incorrect.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Mendel's First Law (Law of Segregation) is a cornerstone of classical genetics.
It governs how alleles of a gene partition into gametes during the process of meiosis.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Statement I: Mendel's law of segregation states that every individual organism contains two alleles for each heritable character, and these alleles segregate (separate) during gamete formation so that each gamete carries only one allele.
Thus, Statement I is correct.
Statement II: The law of segregation applies specifically to heritable characters (genes/alleles).
Characters that are non-heritable (environmental modifications) do not have alleles and do not undergo Mendelian genetic segregation.
Thus, Statement II is incorrect.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Since Statement I is correct and Statement II is incorrect, the correct choice is option (C).