how many unique gametes could be produced through independent assortment by an individual with the genotype aabbccddee?

For an individual with genotype aabbccddee , only 1 unique gamete can be produced through independent assortment.

Quick Scoop

• Independent assortment only creates different gametes when there are heterozygous gene pairs (like Aa, Bb, Cc).
• The genotype aabbccddee is completely homozygous at all five loci (A, B, C, D, and E).
• That means:
  • At gene A: only a can go into gametes
  • At gene B: only b
  • At gene C: only c
  • At gene D: only d
  • At gene E: only e
• So every gamete must be abcde — there is no variation at any locus, and independent assortment has nothing to “shuffle.”

Using the usual formula for such problems, the number of unique gametes is 2n2^n2n, where nnn is the number of heterozygous gene pairs. Here n=0n=0n=0, so 20=12^0=120=1.

Even though there are five genes, without any heterozygosity, the genetic “deck” has only one kind of card, so every gamete looks the same.

Answer: 1 unique gamete.