Incomplete dominance & Codominance

By – Dr. Deepika Gupta

 Non-Mendelian Genetics
❖ Incomplete Dominance
❖ Codominance
❖ Multiple Alleles
❖ Polygenic Traits
❖ Lethal genes
❖ Epistatis
❖ Pleiotropy
❖ Sex-Linked Traits
Incomplete Dominance
❖ a third (new) phenotype
appears in the heterozygous
condition as a BLEND of the
dominant and recessive
phenotypes. Ex - Dominant
Red (R) + Recessive White
(r) = Hybrid Pink (Rr)

RR = red rr = white Rr = pink

 Problem:
Incomplete Dominance
❖ Show the cross between a pink and a white flower.

GENOTYPES: R r
- RR (0%)
Rr (50%) r
rr (50%)
Rr rr
- ratio 1:1
r Rr rr
PHENOTYPES:
- pink (50%); white (50%)
- ratio 1:1
 Codominance
❖ In the heterozygous condition, both alleles are expressed equally
with NO blending! Represented by using two DIFFERENT capital
letters.
❖ Example: Dominant Black (B) + Dominant White (W) = Speckled
Black and White Phenotype (BW)

❖ Sickle Cell Anemia -

NN = SS = sickle cells NS = some of

normal cells each
 Codominance Example:
Speckled Chickens
❖ BB = black feathers
❖ WW = white feathers
❖ BW = black & white speckled feathers

❖ Notice –
NO GRAY!
NO BLEND!
Each feather is
either black or white
Codominance Example:
Rhodedendron
❖ R = allele for red flowers
❖ W = allele for white flowers
❖ Cross a homozygous red flower
with a homozygous white
flower.
 Codominance Example:
Appaloosa horses
❖ Gray horses (GG) are codominant to white horses
(WW). The heterozygous horse (GW) is an Appaloosa
(a white horse with gray spots).
❖ Cross a white horse with an appaloosa horse.

W W
G GW GW

W WW WW
 Problem:
Codominance
❖ Show the cross between an individual with
sickle-cell anemia and another who is a carrier
but not sick.
GENOTYPES: N S
- NS (50%) S
SS (50%) NS SS
- ratio 1:1
PHENOTYPES: S NS SS
- carrier (50%)
sick (50%)
- ratio 1:1
 Let’s test your Knowledge
Q.1 In some chickens, the gene for feather color is controlled by codominance. The
allele for black is B and the allele for white is W. The heterozygous phenotype is
known as erminette.
What is the genotype for black chickens?
What is the genotype for white chickens?
What is the genotype for erminette chickens?

Q.2 If two erminette chickens were crossed, what is the probability that:
They would have a black chick? %
They would have a white chick? %

Q.3 In snapdragons, flower color is controlled by incomplete dominance. The two

alleles are red (R) and white (W). The heterozygous genotype is expressed as pink.
What is the phenotype of a plant with the genotype RR?
What is the phenotype of a plant with the genotype WW?
What is the phenotype of a plant with the genotype RW?

Q.4 A pink-flowered plant is crossed with a white-flowered plant. What is the

probability of producing a pink-flowered plant?