Table of contents
- 1. Introduction to Genetics51m
- 2. Mendel's Laws of Inheritance3h 37m
- 3. Extensions to Mendelian Inheritance2h 41m
- 4. Genetic Mapping and Linkage2h 28m
- 5. Genetics of Bacteria and Viruses1h 21m
- 6. Chromosomal Variation1h 48m
- 7. DNA and Chromosome Structure56m
- 8. DNA Replication1h 10m
- 9. Mitosis and Meiosis1h 34m
- 10. Transcription1h 0m
- 11. Translation58m
- 12. Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes1h 19m
- 13. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes44m
- 14. Genetic Control of Development44m
- 15. Genomes and Genomics1h 50m
- 16. Transposable Elements47m
- 17. Mutation, Repair, and Recombination1h 6m
- 18. Molecular Genetic Tools19m
- 19. Cancer Genetics29m
- 20. Quantitative Genetics1h 26m
- 21. Population Genetics50m
- 22. Evolutionary Genetics29m
2. Mendel's Laws of Inheritance
Dihybrid Cross
Problem 12b
Textbook Question
In Drosophila, gray body color is dominant to ebony body color, while long wings are dominant to vestigial wings. Assuming that the P₁ individuals are homozygous, work the following crosses through the F₂ generation, and determine the genotypic and phenotypic ratios for each generation. gray, vestigial, x-shaped, and long.

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Step 1: Define the alleles for the traits. Let 'G' represent the dominant allele for gray body color, 'g' represent the recessive allele for ebony body color, 'L' represent the dominant allele for long wings, and 'l' represent the recessive allele for vestigial wings.
Step 2: Write the genotypes of the P₁ individuals. The gray, vestigial parent is homozygous for gray body color and vestigial wings, so its genotype is 'GGll'. The ebony, long parent is homozygous for ebony body color and long wings, so its genotype is 'ggLL'.
Step 3: Determine the F₁ generation by performing a Punnett square for the P₁ cross. Each parent contributes one allele for each trait. All F₁ offspring will inherit one 'G' and one 'g' allele for body color, and one 'L' and one 'l' allele for wing type, resulting in the genotype 'GgLl'.
Step 4: Determine the F₂ generation by performing a dihybrid cross of the F₁ individuals ('GgLl' x 'GgLl'). Use a 4x4 Punnett square to account for all possible combinations of alleles for the two traits. The gametes produced by each F₁ parent will be 'GL', 'Gl', 'gL', and 'gl'.
Step 5: Analyze the F₂ Punnett square to determine the genotypic and phenotypic ratios. Count the number of offspring with each genotype (e.g., 'GGLL', 'GgLl', etc.) and phenotype (e.g., gray, long; gray, vestigial; ebony, long; ebony, vestigial). Use the dominance relationships to determine the phenotypes.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Dominance in Genetics
Dominance refers to the relationship between alleles, where one allele masks the expression of another in a heterozygous individual. In this case, gray body color and long wings are dominant traits over ebony body color and vestigial wings, respectively. Understanding dominance is crucial for predicting phenotypic outcomes in genetic crosses.
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Variations on Dominance
Punnett Squares
A Punnett square is a diagram used to predict the genotypic and phenotypic ratios of offspring from a genetic cross. By organizing the alleles of the parents, it allows for a visual representation of all possible combinations in the F₂ generation. This tool is essential for analyzing inheritance patterns in the given Drosophila crosses.
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Chi Square Analysis
Homozygosity and Heterozygosity
Homozygosity occurs when an individual has two identical alleles for a trait, while heterozygosity involves having two different alleles. In the context of the question, the P₁ individuals are homozygous, which simplifies the initial crosses. Recognizing these terms is vital for understanding how traits are inherited and expressed in subsequent generations.
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Hardy Weinberg
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Textbook Question
Based on the preceding cross, what is the probability that an organism in the F₂ generation will have round seeds and green cotyledons and be true breeding?
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