Assignment: General Genetics Problems

Name your submission Lastname_GeneticsProblems and submit it in the

‘Assignments’ link under the ‘Assessments’ tab on the course homepage. Each
question is worth 10 points. The maximum score for this assignment is 100 points.

1. In garden peas, yellow (Y) seed color is dominant to green (y). Because yellow
and green are two different forms of the same gene (seed color), they are alleles.
Use a Punnett square to show a cross between two heterozygous pea plants. What
is the phenotype(s) of the offspring? What is the genotype(s) of the offspring?

Y y

Y YY Yy

y Yy yy

Genotypes: YY,Yy,yy
Phenotypes: Yellow and green (3:1)

2. Assume that white color (W) is dominant over yellow color (w) in corn.
Perform a Punnett square for a cross where pollen from the anthers of a plant that
is heterozygous for color is placed on the pistil of a yellow-fruited plant. What
are the genotypes and phenotypes you would expect to find from this cross?

W w

w Ww ww

w Ww ww

Genotypes; Ww,ww
Phenotypes: white and yellow (3:1)
Use the information below to answer questions 3-6.
There may be a number of possible alleles for a given gene within a population. In
a multiple allele system, the dominance relationships between the various alleles
must be considered. One of the more familiar examples of a multiple allelic
system is that of human ABO blood types. The gene involved codes for a protein
on the outside of red bloods cells. Three alleles (IA, IB and i) determine whether
the protein is present or absent and the form of the protein present. The A and B
alleles code for the A and B forms of the protein and are co-dominant to each
other. The O allele (i) codes for no protein and is recessive to both A and B
alleles. This means there are four possible blood types (A, AB, B, and O).

3. Show the possible genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring from a cross
between a homozygous male with type A blood and a homozygous female with
type B blood.

A A

B AB AB

B AB AB

Genotypes: AB
Phenotypes: 4:0 offspring will be born with type AB blood

4. Show the possible genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring from a cross
between a heterozygous male with type A blood and a heterozygous female with
type B blood.
A i

B AB Bi

i Ai ii

Genotypes: AB, B, A, O
Phenotypes: Offspring can be types AB, B, A, or O (1:1:1:1)
5. If a man with blood type A, one of whose parents had blood type O, marries a
woman with blood type AB, what are the putative genotypes of the offspring?
A i

A AA Ai

B AB Bi

Genotypes: A, A, AB, B (2:1:1)

6.  A couple with the following blood types: the man has type AB and the woman
has type B, discover their child has type O blood.    Is it possible that one of these
‘parents’ may not actually be the genetic parent of this child?  If so, which one,
and how do you know?
These two people cannot be the parents of this child. An O blood type is not an
option for their offspring.

7. In horses coat color shows incomplete dominance: the alleles are chestnut color
(Hc) and cremello (Hcr); heterozygous individuals have the phenotype palamino.
What are the predicted phenotypes from a cross between a palamino and cremello
colored horses? What are the genotypes?
Hcr Hcr

Hc Hc Hcr Hc Hcr

Hcr Hcr Hcr Hcr Hcr

Genotypes: Hc Hcr, Hcr Hcr (2:2)

Phenotypes: 2 palamino, 2 cremello
8.  Red-green color blindness is inherited as an X-linked recessive (Xc).  If a
color-blind man marries a woman who is heterozygous for normal vision, what
would be the expected phenotypes of their children with reference to this
character?  In your answer, specify in your phenotype descriptions the gender of
the children.  (For example, don’t just say 75% of the children would be
colorblind – you would instead say 100 % of the daughters would be colorblind
and 50% of the sons would be colorblind.  Note that this is not a correct answer; it
is just to give you an idea of how to explain the correct phenotypes of the cross.)
Xc y

Xc XcXc Xcy

X XXc Xy

Phenotypes by gender: 50% of girls would be color blind and 50% would be
carriers. 50% of boys are colorblind and 50% of boys have normal color
vision.

9.  Hemophilia is another example of a X-linked disease caused when a recessive

allele (Xh) is expressed. If a normal male reproduces with a heterozygous normal
female, what are the expected genotypes and phenotypes? Will any of their
daughters develop hemophilia?  As in the previous question, you must also give
the gender of the child in your genotype and phenotype descriptions here.
X Y

Xh XhX XhY

X XX XY

Genotypes by gender: Girls 50% XhX and 50% XX. Boys 50% XhY and 50% XY

Phenotypes by gender: There is a 50% chance of the girls being carriers and
not having the condition. There is a 50% chance of boys having hemophilia
and 50% of them not having the condition.

10. In pea plants, seed shape and seed color are controlled by genes located on
different chromosomes. Seeds may be round (R) or wrinkled (r), with the allele
for round seeds being dominant. Alleles for seed color are yellow and green, with
the green allele (y) recessive to the yellow (Y) allele. If you cross an individual
that is homozygous round and yellow with an individual that is homozygous for
wrinkled and green, what is the genotype of the F1 individuals? Set up a Punnett
square for the dihybrid cross.
RY RY RY RY
ry RrYy RrYy RrYy RrYy
ry RrYy RrYy RrYy RrYy
ry RrYy RrYy RrYy RrYy
ry RrYy RrYy RrYy RrYy

F1Gentotypes: All gametes are RrYy heterozygous yellow and round.