Inheritance of a single whole gene set from each parent ensures independent assortment of genes during meiosis. If progeny plants inherited both gene sets from one parent, the characteristics ‘R’ and ‘y’ would be linked, making it impossible to observe ...

Germ cells undergo a process called meiosis, during which the chromosome number is halved. This reduction results in the formation of haploid cells with a single set of genes instead of the usual diploid cells with two sets.

For the mechanism to work, each germ cell must have only one gene set to ensure that, during sexual reproduction, each parent contributes one set of genes to the progeny. This segregation and combination of gene sets from both parents ...

Both parents must contribute a copy of the same gene. This implies that each pea plant possesses two sets of all genes, with one set inherited from each parent.

If the interpretations are correct, both parents contribute equally to the DNA of the progeny during sexual reproduction.