PROBLEM SET ON MENDELIAN INHERITANCE, GENETIC RATIOS AND

PROBABILITY

1. In garden peas, the genes for tall vine (D) and yellow seed (G) are dominant over
their respective alleles for dwarf (d) and green (g).
a. Symbolize a cross between a homozygous tall, green plant and a dwarf,
yellow plant.
b. Show the gametes possible from each parent and the F1.
c. Symbolize a cross between two F1 plants and complete the cross using the
forked-line method. Summarize the results for genotypes, phenotypes,
genotypic and phenotypic proportion.
d. Based on the results of the F1 cross
i. What proportion of the progeny will be homozygous for at most one
gene pair?
ii. What proportion of the progeny will be heterozygous for at least one
gene pair?
iii. What proportion of the tall, yellow plants will be heterozygous for both
gene pairs?

2. Flower position, stem length, seed shape were three characters that Mendel
studied. Each is controlled by an independently assorting gene and has
dominant and recessive expression as follows:
Character Dominant Recessive
Flower position Axial (A) Terminal (a)
Stem length Tall (T) Dwarf (t)
Seed shape Round (R) Wrinkled (r)

If a plant that is heterozygous for all three characters were allowed to self-
fertilize, what proportion of the offspring would be expected to be as follows?
a. Homozygous for the three dominant traits?
b. Homozygous for the three recessive traits?
c. Heterozygous?
d. Homozygous for axial and tall, heterozygous for seed shape?
e. Phenotypically like the F1?

3. Given an individual who is heterozygous for 5 loci

a. How many different gametes will this individual form?
b. If this individual is crossed with an individual that is homozygous dominant for
the first two characters but heterozygous for the last three characters, what
proportion of the progeny will be
 i. genotypically like the first parent?
ii. have nothing but dominant traits?
iii. pure breeding?
iv. Phenotypically like the second parent?

4. In man, two abnormal conditions, cataracts in the eyes and excessive fragility in
the bones seem to depend on two separate dominant genes. A man with
cataracts and normal bones, whose father had normal eyes, married a woman
free from cataracts but with fragile bones. Her father had normal bones. What is
the probability that their first child will
a. be free from both abnormalities?
b. have cataracts?
c. have fragile bones but not cataracts?
d. have both cataracts and fragile bones?

5. In sesame plants, the one-pod condition (P) is dominant to the three pod
condition (p), and the normal leaf (L) is dominant to wrinkled leaf (l). Pod type
and leaf type are inherited independently. Determine the genotypes for the two
parents for all possible matings producing the following offspring:
a. 318 one-pod normal, 98 one-pod wrinkled
b. 323 three-pod normal, 106 three-pod wrinkled
c. 401 one-pod normal
d. 150 one-pod normal, 147 one-pod wrinkled, 51 three-pod normal, 48 three-
pod wrinkled
e. 223 one-pod normal, 72 one-pod wrinkled, 76 three-pod normal, 27 three-pod
wrinkled

6. If eight (8) babies are born on a given day, (a) What is the chance that four will
be boys the other four will be girls? (b) What combinations of boys and girls will
most likely occur? (c) What is the probability that at least one will be a girl?

7. A woman has a rare abnormality of the eyelids called ptosis, which makes it
impossible for her to open her eyes completely. The condition has been found to
depend on a single dominant gene (P). The woman’s father had ptosis, her
mother had normal eyelids. Her father’s mother had normal eyelids.
a. What are the most probable genotypes of the woman, her father and her
mother?
b. What is the probability of ptosis in their children if she marries a man with
ptosis whose mother had normal eyelids?
c. What is the probability that the first child of the couple is a ptotic girl?
d. If the above couple decides to have 5 children, what is the probability that 2
will have ptosis and 3 will have normal eyelids?
e. What is the probability that if they have 6 children the first, third and fourth
child will be ptotic but the second, fifth and sixth will have normal eyelids?
 f. If they plan to have 5 children, which combination of ptotic and normal eyelids
will most likely occur?

8. In man, the autosomal gene (A) for absence of molars (affected) is dominant to
its allele (a) for presence of molars (unaffected). A certain couple both
heterozygous for this character plan to have five children.
a. Determine the probability that:
i. All children will be affected.
ii. In any order, three will be affected and 2 unaffected.
iii. The first two will be unaffected, the next two affected and the
last again unaffected.
iv. The first child is an affected girl?

Which combinations of affected and unaffected children will most likely occur