Practice questions for using the rules of multiplication and addition in

genetic crosses Q - When do we us the rule of multiplication?

A - When we have independent events in sequence. You multiply the

probabilities of the independent sequential events.

Example: In heterozygous pea plants (Pp) what is the probability that the
offspring (Pp xPp) will be homozygous recessive?

Pp x Pp The chance of the first parent (Pp) passing on p (little p) is ½ and the
second parent (Pp) is also ½. Therefore ½ x ½ = ¼

OK that is simple. In a trihybridcross between AABbCC X AaBbCc what is the

probability that the offspring will be AaBbCC? Just work on each letter
combination at a time. You can use a punnett square initially but you will soon
learn the probabilities.

AABbCC X AaBbCc resulting in AaBbCC so Aa =2/4 or ½

A A
A AA AA
a A A

Bb X Bb resulting in Bb is ½

CC X Cc resulting in CC is ½

Therefore what is the probability that a cross between AABbCC X AaBbCc will
produce offspring that are AaBbCC is ½ x ½ x ½ = 1/8

OK now practice this.

1. Parents = aaBbCC x aabbCc

What is the probability that offspring will be aabbcc (recessive for all alleles)?

2. Parents are WwYYZz x wwyyZZ

What is the probability that offspring will be WwYyZz? (heterozygous for all
alleles)?
Q - When do we us the rule of addition?

A - When we have two or more mutually exclusive events.

Example: What is the probability that the offspring from a cross between WwYyZz x
WwYYZZ will be WWYyZz or WWYYZZ?
So first you do the same as above and use the rule of multiplication to work out
the probability for each:

WwYyZz x WwYYZZ

WWYyZz = Ww ¼ x Yy ½ x Zz ½ = 1/16

WWYYZZ = WW ¼ x YY ½ x ZZ ½ = 1/16

Then you add the probabilities of these mutually exclusive events together.

1/16 + 1/16 = 2/16 or 1/8 so there is a 1/8 probability that the offspring from a cross
between WwYyZz x WwYYZZ will be WWYyZz or WWYYZZ.