UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

GTS 161 SEMESTER TEST 2

2019-10-17 Time: 2 h

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INTERNAL EXAMINERS: Dr M Wilken and Dr P de Waal

Copyright reserved

To be completed on
Question 1 8
MCQ sheet
Subtotal of written answers
52
Q2 – Q6

TOTAL 60 Posted on clickUP

DEPARTMENTAL TEST/EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Ensure that you are in the correct venue according to your surname.
2. Students with official extra time need to be in Law 1-45.
3. This is an official examination and all University examination regulations apply (see page 2).
4. You may use non-programmable calculators. Mutual exchange of calculators will not be allowed.
5. Answer all questions.
6. Check that your paper has 11 pages with 6 questions.
7. Question 1 = 8 marks, to be completed on the MCQ answering sheet provided, Questions 2 to 6 = 52 marks,
to be completed on the script.
8. Rough work can be done on the last page.
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be marked.
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14. Sign the attendance list and show your student card prior to leaving the venue.

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 UP TEST/EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS

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PLEASE NOTE: Students should take note that, if found guilty of academic misconduct or non-compliance with these rules,
a student could, among other disciplinary measures, forfeit his or her credits for a module and/or be suspended from the
University for a period that could range from one year to permanent suspension. Such a student’s record will be blocked
for the period of suspension and he or she will not be entitled to a certificate of good conduct from the University during
this period. Students should also take note that, if found guilty of academic misconduct, it may negatively influence their
admission to other universities and/or registration with professional councils.

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Question 1 [8]

Choose the correct answer for each of the following questions.

Indicate only the correct answer on the separate multiple choice sheet provided.
Use Side 1 to mark your answers.
Ensure you clearly indicate your student number on the answer sheet, both written in numbers and in the
correct circles coloured in.
Use a pencil only, and do not erase on the sheet.

1.1 In a certain species of moths, the recessive allele at the D-locus results in the production of white wings
while the dominant allele causes black wings. Ten moths are caught in a local forest, and these are black,
white or grey. After genotyping, you find that the white moths are dd, the black are either DD or Dd, and
the grey moths are also either DD or Dd. Which of the following can explain these observations?

A. The black allele shows reduced penetrance and variable expressivity.

B. The white allele shows reduced penetrance and variable expressivity.
C. The black allele shows full penetrance but variable expressivity.
D. The white and black alleles are co-dominant.
E. The white and black alleles show incomplete dominance.

1.2 Suppose that you are a plant breeder interested in rose colour. You notice that all crosses between a
golden rose and a white rose produce yellow roses. Upon further study, you notice that the yellow roses
have only golden pigment, but in lower amounts than the golden variety. Rose colour in this case is
caused by

A. a single autosomal gene, with higher penetrance of the white pigment in the yellow roses.
B. a single autosomal gene with the white and golden alleles co-dominant.
C. a single autosomal gene showing pleiotropy.
D. a single autosomal gene with the golden allele being incompletely dominant.
E. cytoplasmic inheritance of the colour gene present in mitochondria.

1.3 In mice, a single gene can produce only two coat colours, yellow and black. All known black mice are
genotype aa, while all yellow mice are genotype Aa. A cross between two yellow mice will yield

A. only black offspring.

B. only yellow offspring.
C. ⅔ black mice and ⅓ yellow mice.
D. ⅔ yellow mice and ⅓ black mice.
E. ¾ yellow mice and ¼ black mice.

1.4 In pansies, the presence of a central spot on the flower face is a rare trait caused by a recessive allele.
The allele shows only 20% penetrance. You plant 50 seeds collected from a cross between two pansy
plants that were heterozygous for the central spot allele. How many flowers of each type do you expect
to find?

A. 38 plants with a spot in the flower and 12 plants with smooth flowers.
B. 38 plants with smooth flowers and 12 plants with a spot in the flower.
C. 8 plants with a spot in the flower and 42 plants with smooth flowers.
D. 8 plants with smooth flowers and 42 plants with a spot in the flower.
E. 3 plants with a spot in the flower and 47 plants with smooth flowers.

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1.5 Extensive pedigree analysis of a characteristic shows that only males are affected and affected fathers
always pass the characteristic on to their sons. What type of inheritance pattern is suggested by this
description?

A. Autosomal dominant
B. Autosomal recessive
C. X-linked dominant
D. X-linked recessive
E. Y-linked

1.6 What is the difference between monozygotic and dizygotic twins?

A. Monozygotic twins are genetically identical, while dizygotic twins share about fifty percent of their genes.
B. Monozygotic twins arise from two eggs that are fertilized by two sperm in one cycle, while dizygotic twins
arise from a single egg fertilized by a single sperm.
C. Monozygotic twinning is inherited, while dizygotic twinning is as a result of chance.
D. Both monozygotic twins and dizygotic twins usually share the same environment.
E. More than one of the above.

1.7 If alleles of different genes always maintain their parental association rather than assorting independently
into offspring, this is because

A. Mendel’s experiments were flawed.

B. they are really alleles of a single gene.
C. there was a meiotic error.
D. they are very close together on the same chromosome.
E. they are on the same chromosome but far apart.

1.8 Genes that are located on the same chromosome are

A. linked.
B. homologous.
C. homozygous.
D. chromologs.
E. paired.

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Question 2 [5]

Give a word or term for each of the following descriptions:

a) The differential expression of genetic material depending on whether it is inherited from the male or
female parent.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

b) The phenomenon where a genetic trait becomes more strongly expressed, or is expressed at an earlier
age, as it is passed from generation to generation.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

c) Characteristics encoded by genes at many loci.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

d) When one gene affects multiple characteristics.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

e) Traits that are influenced by many genes as well as environmental factors.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Question 3 [17]

3.1 A plant can have green, white or green-and-white (variegated) leaves on its branches. When ovules (♀)
from variegated leaf branches are pollenated by pollen (♂) from green leaf branches, the progeny plants
can have green leaves, white leaves or variegated leaves. Explain this phenomena.
(4)
………………………………………………………………………….………………………….…………………………

…..………………………..…………………………………………………..………………….…………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3.2 You join a laboratory that is studying shell coiling in the snail Lymnaea peregra, a trait that shows
maternal effect. Snails from this species can have a shell that coils right-handed (called dextral) or left-
handed (called sinistral), with right-handed coiling (allele A) being dominant over left-handed coiling
(allele a). Consider the following information for your study populations:

Population 1 Population 2

P1 AA ♂ x aa ♀ AA ♂ x Aa ♀

♂: All Aa ♂: 1 AA : 1 Aa
F1
♀: All Aa ♀: 1 AA : 1 Aa

P2
Aa ♂ x Aa ♀ Aa ♂ x AA ♀
(F1 x F1)

♂: 1 AA : 2 Aa : 1 aa ♂: 1 AA : 1 Aa
F2
♀: 1 AA : 2 Aa : 1 aa ♀: 1 AA : 1 Aa

a) The inheritance of a maternal effect gene can be best described by which of the following statements?
(Write the correct letter in the box provided.)
(1)
A. The phenotype of the offspring is determined by the interaction of the alleles at
their A-locus.
B. The phenotype of the offspring is determined by the alleles for the A locus present
in the mitochondria inherited from their maternal parent.
C. The phenotype of the offspring is determined by the imprinting present on the
A-alleles inherited from their maternal parent.
D. The phenotype of the offspring is determined by the presence of a protein in the
gamete from the female parent, based on the allelic versions of the mothers A-
locus.

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 b) Provide phenotypes for the following individuals from the populations in the table above:
(1)
The F1 males in population 1: ……………………...….….…

The F2 females in population 1 with genotype aa: ……………………...….….…

c) What would the genotypic and phenotypic ratio be of a cross between the F1 Aa male in population 2 and
the F2 aa female in population 1?
(2)
Aa ♂ x aa ♀
↓

Genotypic ratio: ……………………...………………………...…

Phenotypic ratio: ……………………...………………………...…

3.3 The following three traits are each encoded by a single autosomal gene. In all cases, the P1 female
individual was homozygous recessive.

Tail shape in sheep Coat colour in mice Feather colour in pigeons

(Locus A) (Locus G) (Locus H)

P1 Straight tailed ♂ x curly tailed ♀ Black ♂ x white ♀ Blue feathered ♂ x grey feathered ♀

♂: All straight tailed ♂: 1 black : 1 brown ♂: All blue feathered

F1
♀: All curly tailed ♀: 1 black : 1 brown ♀: All blue feathered

P2 Straight tailed F1 ♂ x Blue feathered F1 ♂ x

Black F1 ♂ x Brown F1 ♀
(F1 x F1) curly tailed F1 ♀ blue feathered F1 ♀

♂: 3 straight : 1 curly ♂: 2 black : 1 brown : 1 white ♂: All blue feathered

F2
♀: 1 straight : 3 curly ♀: 2 black : 1 brown : 1 white ♀: 3 blue feathered : 1 grey feathered

For each of these traits, provide the mode of inheritance as well as all possible genotypes for each of the
indicated individuals from the P1 and F2 generations.
(9)

Tail shape in sheep Coat colour in mice Feather colour in pigeons

(Locus A) (Locus G) (Locus H)

Mode of …………………....………… ………………………….……… ……………………….…………

inheritance
…………………....………… ………………………………… …………………….……………

Genotypes of
the P1 males Straight tailed ♂: ……….…… Black ♂: …………...…..……… Blue-feathered ♂: ……….………

Genotypes of Straight ♂: …………………… Black ♂: ………....……….…… Blue-feathered ♂: ………….……

the F2 males
Curled ♂: …………………… Brown ♂:………………………

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Question 4 [7]

4.1 Consider the following cross between two pure-breeding varieties of pumpkin with different coloured
fruits:
P1: White fruit x green fruit
↓
F1: All white fruit
↓
P2: F1 white fruit plants intercrossed
↓
F2: 12 white fruit : 3 yellow fruit : 1 green fruit

The following biochemical pathway illustrates the inheritance of fruit colour in these pumpkins.
Study it and answer the following questions:
(3)

a) Name the colour labelled 1 in the figure: …………………………………………………………………………

b) Name the colour labelled 3 in the figure: …………………………………………………………………………

c) True or false: For the W locus, ww will allow the conversion of colour 1 to colour 2: ………….……….…

d) True or false: For the Y locus, Yy will allow the conversion of colour 2 to colour 3: ……………….……..

4.2 In a species of the cat family, eye colour can be gray, blue, green or brown, and each colour can be true
breeding. In separate crosses involving homozygous parents, the following data were obtained:

Cross A Cross B Cross C

P1 green x gray Green x brown Gray x brown

F1 All green All green All green

F2 ¾ green : ¼ gray ¾ green : ¼ brown /16 green : 3/16 brown : 3/16 gray : 1/16 blue
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a) How many genes control eye colour in this cat species?

(1)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

b) Provide the true-breeding genotypes of a brown and a green eyed cat.

(2)
Brown: ………………………………………………

Green: ……………………………………………….

c) If the two cats in b) above were to produce offspring, what is the probability of obtaining a cat with green
eyes?
(1)
.………………………………………..………….…………………………………………………......……………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

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Question 5 [11]

A plant homozygous for red flowers and dull leaves, is crossed with a plant homozygous for white flowers and
shiny leaves. The F1 plants all have red flowers and shiny leaves.
The F1 plants are test crossed with a plant homozygous recessive for flower colour and leaf texture.

a) Which trait is dominant for flower colour and leaf texture respectively? (1)

Flower colour: ………………………………………………

Leaf texture: ………………………………………………...

b) The results of the testcross above are as follows:

50 red, dull : 46 white, shiny : 13 red, shiny : 11 white, dull

Draw a diagram to show how the alleles for flower colour and leaf texture are arranged on the
chromosomes.
Use a solid line and a circle to represent a chromosome and a centromere.
Use R/r for the alleles of the flower colour gene and D/d for the alleles of the leaf texture gene.
(2)

c) Calculate the percentage recombination between the genes for flower colour and leaf texture in the plant.
(3)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

d) Draw a chromosome map for genes R/r and D/d in this plant.
(2)

e) If you examined 100 meiocytes from this plant under a microscope, in how many would you expect to
see crossing over between the genes for flower colour and leaf texture? (1)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

f) If the testcross in question b) above had produced offspring as follow:

30 red, dull : 29 white, shiny : 31 red, shiny : 30 white, dull.

Which two possible conclusions could be made about the arrangement of the alleles for flower colour and texture
on the chromosomes?
(2)
i) …………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

ii) …………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

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Question 6 [12]

6.1 Consider the following pedigree, which traces the inheritance of a disease caused by a single gene. Only
individuals who are affected (solid symbol) or phenotypically normal (open symbol) are shown. Potential
heterozygotes are not indicated. Assume that there is complete penetrance and that there are no new
mutations.

a) Determine whether each of the following modes of inheritance is possible for the pedigree above. Answer
yes or no.
b) If your answer for a) is no, choose one offspring from a cross to definitively support your answer. This
offspring is not affected but would have been affected if your answer was yes. There may be more than
one individual who would have been affected, you only have to give one. (Your answer can only be an
individual from generation II, III or IV).
(7)

Mode of inheritance a) Yes or No b) Individual that would have been affected

Autosomal recessive
………..….....… …………………………………
Autosomal dominant
………….…...… …………………………………
X-linked recessive
……..….…....… …………………………………
X-inked dominant
……..….…....… …………………………………
Sex-influenced, dominant in males
………..….....… …………………………………

6.2 Many twin and adoption studies have been performed by researchers studying human disorders. What
information can be obtained from these studies about the phenotype of the disorders? (2)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

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6.3 A twin study was performed on 1680 pairs of monozygotic twins. Of the twin pairs investigated, in 1008
twin pairs, both twins showed the trait. In 672 of the twin pairs, only one twin showed the trait. What is
the percentage concordance for monozygotic twins for the trait in question? (1)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

6.4 A twin study about diabetes mellitus type II produced the following results:

Concordance percentage in monozygotic and dizygotic twins

Monozygotic twins Dizygotic twins

Diabetes mellitus type II 90 37

What conclusions can be made from these concordance data? Explain your answer. (2)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……………………

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