The characters of "seed color" and "seed shape" showed independent assortment in Mendel's experiments because
A. the genes for these two characters were very close together on the same chromosome
B. these two characters were the product of the same gene
C. the genes for these two characters were on different chromosomes
D. the genes for both characters were sex-linked
E. either answer A or B could be correct

Mendel conducted several experiments with peas to demonstrate the mechanisms of heredity. He decided to use peas because they self-fertilize, have a short life cycle, are easily grown and produce large numbers of offspring. Peas, in addition to the advantages already mentioned, have simple characteristics to observe, such as the color and shape of the seed. Mendel analyzed seven of these characteristics that had no intermediates: seed texture, seed color, seed coat color, pod shape, pod color, flower position, and plant height.

Through his study, Mendel concluded that the characters "seed color" and "seed shape" showed an independent variety. This is because the genes related to these two traits are distant from each other in the chromosome and therefore have no dependence between them.