Question

Mendel self-fertilized pea plants with round and yellow peas. In the next generation he recovered the following numbers of peas 315 round and yellow peas 108 round and green peas 101 wrinkled and yellow peas 32 wrinkled and green peas a) What is your hypothesis about the genetic control of the phenotype?

Answer 1

The genetic control of the phenotype in pea plants, according to Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment, is likely determined by two separate genes: one for shape and one for color. The round shape and yellow color are dominant traits, while the wrinkled shape and green color are recessive. The expected phenotypic ratio in the F2 generation is 9:3:3:1.

Step-by-step explanation:

The data suggests that pea shape (round or wrinkled) and color (yellow or green) are determined by two separate genes according to Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment. The ratio of round to wrinkled (423:133) is roughly equivalent to 3:1, as is the ratio of yellow to green (416:140), suggesting a single dominant gene controls each. Therefore, the hypothesis is that the round shape and yellow color are each dominant traits controlled by separate genes, whereas wrinkled shape and green color are recessive.

As per Mendelian genetics, each trait is controlled by pairs of genes, one from each parent. In each pair, the dominant gene masks the effect of the recessive gene. So, round shape (R) is dominant to wrinkled (r) and yellow color (Y) is dominant to green (y).

In summary, when a pea plant with round and yellow peas (RRYY) is crossed with a plant with wrinkled and green peas (rryy), the phenotypic ratio in the F2 generation would appear in a 9:3:3:1 ratio as per Mendel's Dihybrid Cross.

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