Genes that are located on the same chromosome tend to be inherited together due to:

• A. Crossing over
• B. Mutation
• C. Linkage
• D. Independent assortment

Answer: (C)

Genes that sit close to each other on the same chromosome are usually passed on together because they form a linked group on that chromosome. This tendency is called linkage. During meiosis, chromosomes are typically inherited as intact blocks, so the specific combination of alleles for those nearby genes is preserved in the gametes unless a recombination event occurs between them. When crossing over happens between the genes, it can shuffle alleles and break the original combination, but if the genes are close, recombination is less likely, and the parental allele combination remains common. Mutation changes the DNA sequence but doesn’t explain why nearby genes are inherited together, and independent assortment describes genes on different chromosomes (or very far apart on the same chromosome) sorting independently, which isn’t the pattern seen for linked genes.