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Ch. 3 - Cell Division and Chromosome Heredity
Sanders - Genetic Analysis: An Integrated Approach 3rd Edition
Sanders3rd EditionGenetic Analysis: An Integrated ApproachISBN: 9780135564172Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 3, Problem 29b

A wild-type Drosophila male and female are crossed, producing 324 female progeny and 161 male progeny. All their progeny are wild type.


Design an experiment that will test your hypothesis, using the wild-type progeny identified above. Describe the results you expect if your hypothesis is true.

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Formulate a hypothesis: Based on the observation that all progeny are wild type, hypothesize that the wild-type phenotype is dominant and the parents are homozygous or heterozygous for the wild-type allele.
Design a test cross: Cross one of the wild-type female progeny with a male that is homozygous recessive for the trait of interest (non-wild type phenotype). This will help determine the genotype of the wild-type progeny.
Predict the expected results: If the wild-type progeny are heterozygous, the offspring of the test cross should exhibit a 1:1 phenotypic ratio of wild type to non-wild type. If the wild-type progeny are homozygous, all offspring should be wild type.
Perform the cross and collect data: Allow the test cross to proceed and count the number of wild-type and non-wild-type offspring produced. Ensure a sufficiently large sample size for statistical reliability.
Analyze the results: Compare the observed phenotypic ratios to the expected ratios based on your hypothesis. If the observed results match the predictions, your hypothesis is supported. If not, consider alternative explanations such as incomplete dominance or other genetic factors.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Sex-linked Inheritance

Sex-linked inheritance refers to genes located on sex chromosomes, particularly the X chromosome in Drosophila. In this case, the wild-type phenotype suggests that the traits are likely inherited in a manner that is influenced by the sex of the progeny, which can lead to different ratios of male and female offspring depending on the alleles present.
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Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis testing is a scientific method used to determine the validity of a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. In this context, you would formulate a hypothesis about the inheritance pattern of the wild-type trait and design an experiment to test it, predicting specific outcomes based on whether the hypothesis is supported or refuted.
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Translation:Wobble Hypothesis

Phenotypic Ratios

Phenotypic ratios are the relative frequencies of different phenotypes in the offspring resulting from a genetic cross. In this scenario, the expected ratios of wild-type and mutant phenotypes among the progeny can provide insights into the underlying genetic mechanisms, such as whether the trait is autosomal or sex-linked.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

In an 1889 book titled Natural Inheritance (Macmillan, New York), Francis Galton, who investigated the inheritance of measurable (quantitative) traits, formulated a law of 'ancestral inheritance.' The law stated that individuals inherit approximately one-half of their genetic traits from each parent, about one-quarter of the traits from each grandparent, one-eighth from each great grandparent, and so on. In light of the chromosome theory of heredity, argue either in favor of Galton's law or against it.

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Textbook Question

In Drosophila, the X-linked echinus eye phenotype disrupts formation of facets and is recessive to wild-type eye. Autosomal recessive traits vestigial wing and ebony body assort independently of one another. Examine the progeny from the three crosses shown below, and identify the genotype of parents in each cross.

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Textbook Question

A wild-type Drosophila male and female are crossed, producing 324 female progeny and 161 male progeny. All their progeny are wild type.


Propose a genetic hypothesis to explain these data.

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Textbook Question

Drosophila has a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 8, which includes one pair of sex chromosomes (XX in females and XY in males) and three pairs of autosomes. Consider a Drosophila male that has a copy of the A₁ allele on its X chromosome (the Y chromosome is the homolog) and is heterozygous for alleles B₁ and B₂, C₁ and C₂, and D₁ and D₂ of genes that are each on a different autosomal pair. In the diagrams requested below, indicate the alleles carried on each chromosome and sister chromatid. Assume that no crossover occurs between homologous chromosomes.

What is the genotype of cells produced by mitotic division in this male?

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Textbook Question

Drosophila has a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 8, which includes one pair of sex chromosomes (XX in females and XY in males) and three pairs of autosomes. Consider a Drosophila male that has a copy of the A₁ allele on its X chromosome (the Y chromosome is the homolog) and is heterozygous for alleles B₁ and B₂, C₁ and C₂, and D₁ and D₂ of genes that are each on a different autosomal pair. In the diagrams requested below, indicate the alleles carried on each chromosome and sister chromatid. Assume that no crossover occurs between homologous chromosomes.

Diagram any correct alignment of chromosomes at mitotic metaphase.

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Textbook Question

Drosophila has a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 8, which includes one pair of sex chromosomes (XX in females and XY in males) and three pairs of autosomes. Consider a Drosophila male that has a copy of the A₁ allele on its X chromosome (the Y chromosome is the homolog) and is heterozygous for alleles B₁ and B₂, C₁ and C₂, and D₁ and D₂ of genes that are each on a different autosomal pair. In the diagrams requested below, indicate the alleles carried on each chromosome and sister chromatid. Assume that no crossover occurs between homologous chromosomes.


Diagram any correct alignment of chromosomes at metaphase I of meiosis.

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