Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Dominant and Recessive Alleles
In genetics, alleles are different forms of a gene that can exist at a specific locus on a chromosome. A dominant allele, represented by a capital letter (e.g., P), masks the effect of a recessive allele (e.g., p) when both are present. In this case, the purple flower color is determined by the dominant allele P, while the white flower color occurs only in plants that are homozygous recessive (pp).
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Genotype and Phenotype
The genotype refers to the genetic makeup of an organism, specifically the alleles it possesses for a particular trait. The phenotype is the observable expression of that genotype, such as flower color in the datura plant. In this scenario, the purple-flowered plant could have a genotype of either homozygous dominant (PP) or heterozygous (Pp), while the white-flowered plants must have the genotype pp.
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Punnett Square and Mendelian Inheritance
A Punnett square is a tool used to predict the genotypes of offspring from a genetic cross. According to Mendelian inheritance, the ratio of phenotypes in the offspring can reveal the genotype of the parent. In this case, the observed ratio of purple to white flowers (28:10) suggests a specific genotype for the purple-flowered parent, which can be analyzed using a Punnett square to determine whether it is PP or Pp.
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