OTHER FORMS OF INHERITANCE

INCOMPLETE AND CO-DOMINANCE

With dominant and recessive inheritance, one gene masks or hides the effects of another.
However, genes do not always work in this way. If a black mouse is crossed with a white mouse,
the offspring are grey. This is called INCOMPLETE DOMINANCE. This is a case where some
genes do not have dominant or recessive alleles. The alleles show incomplete dominance, and the
appearance of a heterozygous individual results from a ‘blending’ of two such alleles. A
heterozygote will look different from both of its homozygous parents.

The shorthand convention in this situation is to use uppercase letters related to the two different
alleles such as W for white and B for black hair. To show this, capital letters are used for each
gene. This is shown in the Punnett square below.

If two of the grey mice are mated, then the following offspring are possible:

In this example, 25 % of the offspring are black, 50 % are grey and 25 % are white.

Incomplete dominance is common in many organisms. For example, red-flowered snapdragons

crossed with white-flowered snapdragons produce plants with pink flowers. Another example is
seen with budgerigars. Yellow budgerigars crossed with blue budgerigars produce a green variety.

A cross between organisms can also produce offspring with characteristics that show both of the
parents’ characteristics. This is called CO-DOMINANCE. Co-dominance can be seen in roan
cattle. Red cattle have red hair, white cattle have white hair and roan cattle have both red and
white hair.
 OTHER FORMS OF INHERITANCE

SEX DETERMINATION

Your two sex chromosomes determine which sex you are. Inheritance of these chromosomes can
be seen clearly in the diagram below.

All the eggs produced by a female will have one X chromosome. Half the male’s sperm will carry
an X chromosome and the other half will have a Y chromosome. If a sperm containing an X
chromosome fertilises an egg, then the offspring will be female (XX). If a sperm carrying a Y
chromosome fertilises an egg, then the offspring will be male (XY).
 OTHER FORMS OF INHERITANCE

QUESTIONS

1. A pure-blue-feathered bird was crossed with a pure-bred white-feathered bird and the offspring
all had silver feathers.

(a) What are the genotypes of the two birds and the offspring?

Blue-feathered bird: BB

White-feathered bird: WW

Silver-feathered offspring: BW

2. Explain how sex is determined in humans.

All the eggs produced by a female will have one X chromosome. Half the male’s sperm will carry
an X chromosome and the other half will have a Y chromosome. If a sperm containing an X
chromosome fertilises an egg, then the offspring will be female (XX). If a sperm carrying a Y
chromosome fertilises an egg, then the offspring will be male (XY).

3. Identify the option a – g that matches each description below.

(a) Mm

(b) XY

(c) M

(e) PP

(f) Red Flower

A dominant allele: M

A phenotype: Red Flower

Genotype of a homozygous individual: PP

Genotype of an individual heterozygous for dominant/recessive alleles: Mm

Genotype of a male individual: XY

 OTHER FORMS OF INHERITANCE

4. Complete the sentences with the choices in the box below. One of these may be used five times
and one of these may be used three times.

CHANCE, X, GAMETES, FEMALE, HALF, 50-50, Y, MALE

There are two kinds of sex chromosomes. They are called (1) and (2).

1: X

2: Y

A female body cell has only (3) sex chromosomes.

3: X

A male body cell has both (4) and (5) sex chromosomes.

4: X

5: Y

Meiosis produces (6).

6: Gametes

A gamete has (7) the number of chromosomes found in a body cell.

7: Half

Eggs have only (8) sex chromosomes.

8: X

Sperm have either (9) or (10) sex chromosomes.

9: X

10: Y
 OTHER FORMS OF INHERITANCE

Which will fertilise an egg, an X sperm or a Y sperm? It depends entirely upon (11). The odds are
(12).

11: chance

12: 50-50

The fertilisation of an egg by an X sperm produces a (13) offspring.

13: female

The fertilisation of an egg by a Y sperm produces a (14) offspring.

14: male

5. Determine whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

(a) A body cell has paired chromosomes: T

(b) A gamete has paired chromosomes: F

(c) An egg has only a Y sex chromosome: F

(d) A sperm can have either an X or a Y sex chromosome: T

(e) An X chromosome looks the same as a Y chromosome: F

(f) Many sperm fertilise one egg: F

(g) Fertilisation by an X sperm produces a female: T

(h) Fertilisation by a Y sperm produces a male: T

(i) More X sperm fertilise eggs than Y sperm: F

(j) About the same number of male and female plants and animals are born: T

6. Cattle can have red, white or roan coloured coats. A roan coat has a mixture of red hairs and
white hairs. It is an example of co-dominance.

(a) Explain what is meant by co-dominance.

A form of dominance where the alleles in a gene pair in a heterozygote are fully expressed. The
results in offspring with a phenotype that is neither dominant nor recessive.

A cross between organisms can also produce offspring with characteristics that show both parent’s
characteristics.
 OTHER FORMS OF INHERITANCE

(b) Use a Punnett square diagram to work out the genotype and phenotype of the offspring from a
cross between a roan bull (RW) and a red cow (RR).

Female Gametes

R R

R RR RR
Male
Gametes W RW RW

Possible Genotypes:

RR and RW

Possible Phenotypes:

Red, Red and White

7. Explain the difference between genes that show incomplete dominance and those that are co-
dominant.

In codominance, both alleles are expressed together in the phenotype, in incomplete dominance,
none of the alleles are dominant over the other therefore they blend together to make a new
phenotype in their offspring.

Incomplete dominance is a case where some genes do not have dominant or recessive alleles.
The alleles show incomplete dominance, and the appearance of a heterozygous individual results
from a blending of two such alleles. A cross between organisms can also produce offspring with
characteristics that show both parents characteristics

8. The following mice are the offspring of a black father and a white mother.

(a) What was the genotype of the father?

BB (no dominant alleles must be homozygous)

(b) What was the genotype of the mother?

bb
 OTHER FORMS OF INHERITANCE

(c) What is the phenotype of the offspring?

Black

(d) Were the parents homozygous or heterozygous?

The mother is homozygous, father is homozygous

(e) Are the offspring homozygous or heterozygous?

Heterozygous

9. A tabby cat (black and tan fur) is produced by a cross between a black cat and a tan cat.

If a tabby cat and a tan cat are crossed, what will be the genotypes and phenotypes of the
offspring?

Female Gametes

B T

T BT TT
Male
Gametes T BT TT

Possible Genotypes: BT, TT

Possible Phenotypes: 50 % tabby, 50 % tan

Tabby cat has black and tan fur alleles