Principles of Inheritance and Variations

Exercise-II

SECTION A: KVPY PYQs

1. If the blood group of father is ’A’ and that of mother is ‘B’, the blood group of their
child could be-
[KVPY 2007 SB]
(A) A or B or AB
(B) AB only
(C) A or B or AB or O
(D) A or B only

2. If the husband is Rh+ and the wife is Rh-,

[KVPY 2007 SB]
(A) The couple cannot have children
(B) The couple’s first child may be born but they are not likely to have their
second child without medical intervention.
(C) Their first foetus will not survive but the subsequent ones will.
(D) The couple’s reproductive life will be normal.

3. Which of the following is advantage of meiotic recombination in diploids?

[KVPY 2008 SB]
(A) Helps in maintaining chromosome length
(B) Ensures chromosome segregation
(C) Helps chromosomes to attach to the spindle microtubules
(D) Ensures new combinations of genetic traits
4. The number of genes in man (Homo sapiens) is X fold more than in a fly
(Drosophila melanogaster). The value of X is
[KVPY 2008 SB]
(A) 2
(B) 10
(C) 250
(D) 10000

5. Mendel’s law of independent assortment when interpreted in a modern context

indicates:
[KVPY 2008 SB]
(A) Alleles are present on the same chromosome, but they assort independently
due to recombination
(B) Alleles are present on independent chromosomes and these separate and
assort independently
(C) Alleles are present on independent chromosomes, and they can be sorted during
meiosis
(D) Alleles are present on the same chromosome and their combination is dependent

6. Sickle cell anemia is caused by

[KVPY 2009 SB]
(A) Complete absence of the hemoglobin gene
(B) Point mutation of the hemoglobin gene
(C) Increased affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen
(D) Truncation of the hemoglobin protein

7. The probability of having a girl child with blood group O when the parents have blood
group A and B is
[KVPY 2009 SB]
(A) 0%
(B) At least 50%
(C) At most 25%
(D) Exactly 75%
8. Gregor Mendel showed that unit factors exist in pairs and exhibit a dominant-recessive
relationship. These unit factors, in modern terminology, are called
[KVPY 2009 SB]
(A) Genes
(B) Alleles
(C) Loci
(D) Determinants

9. Male offsprings of which of the following couples have the highest chance of
hemophilia
[KVPY 2009 SB]
(A) Hemophilic father and normal, non-carrier mother
(B) Hemophilic father and normal, carrier mother
(C) Normal father and normal, carrier mother
(D) Normal father and hemophilic mother

10. Which of the following diseases is NOT sexually transmitted?

[KVPY 2009 SB]
(A) Syphilis
(B) Gonorrhoea
(C) AIDS
(D) Tuberculosis

11. A couple went to a doctor and reported that both of them are “carriers” for a particular
disorder, their first child is suffering from that disorder and that they are expecting their
second child. What is the probability that the new child would be affected by the same
disorder?
[KVPY 2010 SB]
(A) 100%
(B) 50%
(C) 25%
(D) 75%
12. Conversion of the Bt toxin produced by Bacillus thuringiensis to its active form in the
gut of the insects is mediated by
[KVPY 2010 SB]
(A) Acidic pH of the gut
(B) Alkaline pH of the gut
(C) Lipid modification of the protein
(D) Cleavage of chymotrypsin

13. In a diploid organism, there are three different alleles for a particular gene. Of these
three alleles one is recessive and the other two alleles exhibit codominance. How many
phenotypes are possible with the set of alleles?
[KVPY 2010 SB]
(A) 3
(B) 6
(C) 4
(D) 2

14. Consider a locus with two alleles, A and a. If the frequency of AA is 0.25, what is the
frequency of A under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
[KVPY 2010 SB]
(A) 1
(B) 0.25
(C) 0.5
(D) 0

15. In humans, the composition of a zygote that will develop into a female is
[KVPY 2011 SB/SX]
(A) 44A+XX
(B) 44A+XY
(C) 22+X
(D) 23A
16. Rice has a diploid genome with 2n=24. If crossing over is stopped in a rice plant and
then selfed seeds are collected, will all the offspring be genetically identical to the
parent plant?
[KVPY 2011 SB/SX]
(A) Yes, because crossing over is the only source of genetic variation
(B) No, because stopping of crossing over automatically increases rate of point
mutation
(C) Yes, only if the parent plant was a completely inbred line
(D) Yes, only if the parent plant was a hybrid between two pure-bred lines

17. For a human male what is the probability that all the maternal chromosomes will end up
in the same gamete?
[KVPY 2011 SB/SX]
(A) 1/23
(B) 223
(C) 246
(D) (½)23

18. The length of one complete turn of a DNA double helix is

[KVPY 2011 SB/SX]
(A) 34 Å
(B) 34 nm
(C) 3.4 Å
(D) 3.4 µm

19. DNA mutations that do not cause any functional change in the protein product are
known as
[KVPY 2012 SB/SX]
(A) Nonsense mutations
(B) Missense mutations
(C) Deletion mutations
(D) Silent mutations
20. In a large, isolated p[population, alleles p and q at a locus are at Hardy-Weinberg
equilibrium. The frequencies are p=0.6 and q=0.4. The proportion of the heterozygous
genotype in the population is
[KVPY 2013 SB/SX]
(A) 0.24
(B) 1
(C) 0.48
(D) 0.12

21. A spontaneous mutation results in a couple having only female progeny. When the
daughter marries and has children, none of them are males. However, in the third
generation, there are few male offspring. What is the most likely explanation of this
observation?
[KVPY 2014 SB/SX]
(A) The mutation reverses spontaneously in the third generation
(B) The mutation occurs on the X-chromosome and is both recessive and
lethal
(C) The mutation occurs on the X-chromosome and is both recessive and
dominant
(D) The mutation occurs on an autosome and is dominant

22. The two alleles that determine the blood group AB of an individual are
located on
[KVPY 2015 SB/SX]
(A) Two different autosomes
(B) The same autosome
(C) Two different sex chromosomes
(D) One on sex chromosome and the other on an autosome

23. Mutation in a single gene can lead to changes in multiple traits. This is an
example of
[KVPY 2015 SB/SX]
(A) Heterotrophy
(B) Codominance
(C) Penetrance
(D) Pleiotropy
24. Consider the following pedigree over four generations and mark the correct answer
below about the inheritance of hemophilia.
[KVPY 2015 SB/SX]

(A) Hemophilia is X-linked dominant

(B) Hemophilia is autosomal dominant
(C) Hemophilia is X-linked recessive
(D) Hemophilia is Y-linked dominant

25. What is the number of chromosomes of an individual with Turner’s syndrome?

[KVPY 2016 SA]
(A) 44
(B) 45
(C) 46
(D) 47

26. A breeder crossed a pure bred tall having white flowers to a pure-bred short plant having
blue flowers. He obtained 202 F1 progeny and found that they are all tall having white
flowers. Upon selfing these F1 plants, he obtained a progeny of 2160 plants.
Approximately, how many of these are likely to be short and having blue flowers?
[KVPY 2016 SA]
(A) 1212
(B) 405
(C) 540
(D) 135
27. A human population containing 200 individuals has two alleles at the ‘T’ locus, named
T & t. T, which produces tall individuals, is dominant over t, which produces short
individuals. If the population has 90 TT, 40 Tt and 70 tt genotypes, what will be the
frequencies of these two alleles in this population?
[KVPY 2016 SB/SX]
(A) T. 0.50 : t. 0.50
(B) T. 0.55 : t. 0.45
(C) T. 0.45 : t. 0.35
(D) T. 0.90 : t. 0.10

28. Match the human disorders shown in Group I with the biochemical processes in
Group II. Choose the correct combination.
[KVPY 2016 SB/SX]
Group I Group II

P. Phenylketonuria i. Melanin synthesis

Q Albinism ii. Conversion of Phenylalanine to

. Tyrosine

R Homocystinuria iii Tyrosine degradation

. .

S. Argininemia iv Methionine metabolism

.

v. Urea synthesis

(A) P-ii, Q-i, R-iv, S-v

(B) P-i, Q-iv, R-ii, S-v
(C) P-ii, Q-i, R-v, S-iii
(D) P-iv, Q-iii, R-i, S-ii

29. The allele for black hair (B) is dominant over brown hair (b) and the allele for brown eye
(E) is dominant over blue eye (e). Out of the off springs obtained upon mating a
black-haired and brown-eyed individual (BbEe) with a brown-haired and brown-eyed
individual (bbEE), the ration of brown-haired and brown-eyed individuals to
black-haired and brown-eyed individuals is
 [KVPY 2016 SB/SX]
(A) 2:1
(B) 3:1
(C) 1:1
(D) 1:2

30. For a particular gene that determines the coat color in a diploid organism, there are
three different alleles that are codominant. How many different skin colors are
possible in such an organism?
[KVPY 2017 SB/SX]
(A) 9
(B) 6
(C) 4
(D) 3

31. Two genetic loci controlling two different traits are linked. During the inheritance of
these traits, the Mendelian laws that would be affected is/ are
[KVPY 2017 SB/SX]
(A) Law of dominance, law of segregation and law of independent
assortment
(B) Law of segregation and Law of independent assortment
(C) Only Law of independent assortment
(D) Only Law of segregation

32. Which ONE of the following statements is INCORRECT?

[KVPY 2017 SB/SX]
(A) Alleles are different forms of the same gene.
(B) Alleles are present at the same locus.
(C) Alleles code for different isoforms of a protein.
(D) Alleles are non-heritable.
33. The genetic distance between genes A and B is 10 cM. An organism with Ab
combination of the alleles is crossed with the organism with aB combination of alleles.
What will be the percentage of the gametes with AB allele combination produced by an
F1 individual?
[KVPY 2017 SB/SX]
(A) 1
(B) 5
(C) 10
(D) 50

34. The minimum number of plants to be screened to obtain a plant of the genotype
AabbCcDd from a cross between plants of genotypes AaBbCcDd and AABbCCDd
is
[KVPY 2017 SB/SX]
(A) 8
(B) 16
(C) 32
(D) 64

35. When a pure bred, red flower-producing plant of genotype RR is crossed with a pure
bred, white flower-producing plant of genotype rr, all the F1 plants produced pink
flowers. If all the plants in each generation from F1 to F6 are selfed, what will be the
percentage of plants with red and white flowers in the final population consisting of a
large number of individuals? (Consider that flower color has no effect on reproduction
and survival.
[KVPY 2017 SB/SX]
(A) 3-4
(B) 12-13
(C) 49-51
(D) 97-100

36. Two homozygous parents harboring two different alleles of a gene, exhibiting
incomplete dominance for flower color were used for a genetic experiment. Which
ONE of the following statements is INCORRECT?
[KVPY 2017 SB/SX]
 (A) The F2 generation will consist of plants of three different flower colors.
(B) The genotypic and phenotypic ratios obtained in the F2 generation will be different.
(C) The F1 generation will be of a different flower color compared to both the parents.
(D) The genotypic ratio obtained in the F2 generation will be the same irrespective of
whether it is complete dominance or incomplete dominance.

37. Suppose the three non-linked autosomal genes A, B and C control coat color in an
animal and the dominants alleles A, B and C are responsible for dark color and the
recessive alleles a, b and c are responsible for light color. If a cross between a male of
AABBCC genotype and a female of aabbcc genotype produce 640 off springs in the F2
generation, how many of them are likely to be of the parental genotype?
[KVPY 2017 SB/SX]
(A) 10
(B) 20
(C) 160
(D) 640

38. In a population of families having three children each, the percentage of population of
families having both boys and girls is
[KVPY 2017 SB/SX]
(A) 10
(B) 25
(C) 50
(D) 75

39. The following two pedigrees describe the autosomal genetic disorders P and Q in
Family 1 and Family 2, respectively.
 Choose the CORRECT statement from the following options.
[KVPY 2017 SB/SX]
(A) Both P and Q are dominant traits.
(B) P is a dominant trait and Q is a recessive trait.
(C) Both P and Q are recessive traits.
(D) P is a recessive trait and Q is a dominant trait.

40. Codon degeneracy means that

[KVPY 2017 SA]
(A) Several of the amino acids are coded by more than one codon.
(B) One codon can code for many amino acids.
(C) One amino acid can be coded by only one codon.
(D) The codons are triplet nucleotide sequences.

41. Transfer of genetic material between populations is best defined as

[KVPY 2017 SA]
(A) Gene flow
(B) Genetic drift
(C) Genetic shift
(D) Speciation

42. Chromosomes are classified based on the position of centromere. A chromosome

having a terminal centromere is called
[KVPY 2017 SA]
(A) Metacentric
(B) Telocentric
(C) Sub-metacentric
(D) Acrocentric

43. Considering ABO blood grouping system in humans, during blood transfusion some
combinations of blood groups are compatible (√), whereas the others are
incompatible (X). Which ONE of the following options is CORRECT?
[KVPY 2017 SA]
44. If the genotypes determining the blood groups of a couple are IAIO and IAIB, then the
probability of their first child having type O blood is
[KVPY 2018 SA]
(A) 0
(B) 0.25
(C) 0.50
(D) 0.75

45. A cross was carried out between two individuals heterozygous for two pairs of genes was
carried out. Assuming segregation and independent assortment, the number of different
genotypes and phenotypes obtained respectively would be
[KVPY 2018 SA]
(A) 4 and 9
(B) 6 and 3
(C) 9 and 4
(D) 11 and 4
46. What is the probability that a human individual would receive the entire haploid
set of chromosomes from his/her grandfather?
[KVPY 2018 SB/SX]
(A) ½
(B) (1/2)23
(C) (1/2)2
(D) (1/2)46

47. How many different blood groups are possible in a diploid species with ABCO blood
grouping system involving IA, IB, IC and IO alleles (IOis recessive and others are
co-dominant) ?
[KVPY 2018 SB/SX]
(A) 4
(B) 6
(C) 7
(D) 8

48. Which one of the following genetic phenomena is represented by the blood
group AB?
[KVPY 2019 SA]
(A) Codominance
(B) Dominance
(C) Overdominance
(D) Semi Dominance

49. In a diploid organism, when the locus X is inactivated, transcription of the locus Y is
triggered. Based on this observation, which of the following statements is
CORRECT?
[KVPY 2019 SA]
(A) X is dominant over Y
(B) X is epistatic to Y
(C) Y is dominant over X
(D) Y is epistatic to X
50. Papaya is a dioecious species with XY sexual genotype for male and XX for female.
What will be the genotype of the embryos and endosperm nuclei after double
fertilization? [KVPY 2019 SA]
(A) 50% ovules would have XXX endosperm and XY embryos, while the other 50%
would have XXY endosperm and XX embryo
(B) 100% ovules would have XXX endosperm and XY embryo
(C) 100% ovules would have XXY endosperm and XX embryo
(D) 50% ovules would have XXX endosperm and XX embryo, while the other 50%
would have XXY endosperm and XY embryo

51. If the gene pool of the locus X in the human genome is 4, then what would be the
highest possible number of genotypes in a large population?
[KVPY 2019 SA]
(A) 6
(B) 8
(C) 10
(D) 16

52. In a population, NAA and Naa are the numbers of homozygous individuals of allele ‘A’
and ‘a’, respectively, and NAa is the number of heterozygous individuals. Which one
of the following options is the allele frequency of ‘A’ and ‘a’ in a population with
NAa=40 and Naa=70?
[KVPY 2019 SB/SX]
(A) A=0.55 and a=0.45
(B) A=0.40 and a=0.60
(C) A=0.35 and a=0.65
(D) A=0.25 and a=0.75

53. A plant heterozygous for height and flower color (TtRr) are selfed and 1600 of the
resulting seeds are planted. If the distance between the loci controlling height and
flower color is 1 centimorgan, then how many offspring are expected to be short
with white flower (ttrr) ?
[KVPY 2019 SB/SX]
(A) 1
(B) 10
(C) 100
(D) 400
54. Which ONE of the following Mendelian diseases is an example of X-linked recessive
disorder? [KVPY 2020 SA]
(A) Hemophilia
(B) Phenylketonuria
(C) Sickle cell anemia
(D) Beta-thalassemia

55. A plant with genotype AABBCC is crossed with another plant with aabbcc genotype.
How many different genotypes of pollens is possible in an F1 plant if these three loci
follow independent assortment?
[KVPY 2020 SA]
(A) 8
(B) 4
(C) 2
(D) 1

56. In a breed of dog, long-haired phenotype is recessive to short-hair. In a litter, one pup is
short haired, and its sibling is long-haired. Consider the following possible phenotypes
of the parents. i. Both parents are short-haired.
ii. Both parents are long-haired
iii. One parent is short-haired, and one is long-haired.
Choose the CORRECT combination of the possible parental phenotypes.
[KVPY 2020 SA]

(A) i only
(B) ii only
(C) iii only
(D) i or iii

57. Maize and rice genomes have diploid chromosome number of 20 and 24, respectively.
In the absence of crossing over and mutations, which ONE of the following is
CORRECT about the genetic variation among their offspring?
[KVPY 2020 SB/SX]
(A) Maize < rice
(B) Maize = rice > 0
(C) Maize = rice = 0
(D) Maize > rice
58. In a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, consider a locus with two
alleles. The frequencies of these two alleles are denoted by p and q, respectively.
Heterozygosity in this population is maximum at
[KVPY 2020 SB/SX]
(A) p=0.25, q=0.75
(B) p=0.4, q=0.6
(C) p=0.6, q=0.4
(D) p=0.5, q=0.5

59. The following family tree traces the occurrence of a rare genetic disease. The filled
symbols signify the individuals with the disease, whereas the open symbols signify
healthy individuals.

Based on this information, the disease is most likely to be

[KVPY 2020 SB/SX]
(A) Autosomal, dominant
(B) Autosomal, recessive
(C) X-linked, recessive
(D) X-linked, dominant

60. Which ONE of the following is the most likely ratio of blood groups (A:B:AB) among
the progeny from heterozygous parents with B and AB blood groups?
[KVPY 2020 SB/SX]
(A) 0.5 : 0.25 : 0.25
(B) 0.25 : 0.25 : 0.5
(C) 0.25 : 0.5 : 0.25
(D) 0 : 0.25 : 0.75
 SECTION B: NEST PYQs

61. Following is a pedigree analysis of inheritance of a trait in a family:

[NEST 2011]

The above inheritance pattern is due to a

(A) Dominant allele
(B) Recessive allele
(C) Co-dominant allele
(D) Imprinted allele

62. Protein synthesis most often starts at AUG as a start codon and terminates at UAA,
UAG and UGA as stop codons. Each codon specifies only one amino acid in all
organisms. State which of the following statements is/are CORRECT.
[NEST 2011]
(A) The above information is consistent with the fact that the genetic code is
universal.
(B) Protein coding RNA from viruses, mammals or plants can be translated in
bacteria.
(C) In higher organisms, protein synthesis begins with methionine.
(D) Use of more than one termination codon is more effective than a single termination
codon in ensuring termination of protein synthesis.

63. The phenomenon of “linked genes” contradicts which of the following fundamental
principles of genetics?
[NEST 2012]
 (A) Law of segregation
(B) Principle of dominance and recessivity
(C) Principle of independent assortment
(D) Incomplete dominance

64. Birth records of 4 babies were mixed up in a hospital. The ABO blood groups of the
four babies were known to be A, B, AB and O. To determine their respective parents,
blood groups of all parents, except the father of baby III were tested. Choose the
correct statements:
[NEST 2012]

(A) The blood group of the Father III could be A and baby III is A.
(B) The blood group of Father III could be B and baby III is AB.
(C) The blood group of Father III could be either AB or B.
(D) The blood group of Father II could be O and baby III A.

65. If a female, who is a carrier of the hemophilia gene, has a child with a male who does
not have hemophilia, which of the following predictions would be correct?
[NEST 2014]
(A) All the sons and none of the daughters will have hemophilia.
(B) All daughters and none of the sons will have haemophilia.
(C) 50% of the sons and 50% of the daughters will have haemophilia.
(D) 50% of the sons and none of the daughters will have hemophilia.

66. A person has received enough exposure of X-rays in the whole body to destroy only
dividing cells. Which one of the following functions would survive best?
[NEST 2014]
 (A) Cardiac contraction
(B) Red blood corpuscle production
(C) Hair growth
(D) Intestinal absorption of fat

67 . Recessive mutations in some rare genetic disorders can manifest as disease. A couple
had four sons and four daughters, of which two sons developed such a genetic disorder. The
parents did not manifest disease symptoms. Further studies showed that this disease affects
only males. If genes P (dominant allele) and p (recessive allele) are involved in this disorder,
identify the correct statement from the options given below.
[NEST 2015]
(A) The genotype of the mother is Pp.
(B) The genotype of the father is PP.
(C) The gene (P/p) is located on an autosome.
(D) The gene (P/p) is located on Y chromosome.

68. The following crosses were performed between parental lines with indicated
genotypes.
(i) BB x Bb
(ii) AAbb x aaBB
(iii) BB x bb
(iv) Bb x Bb
(v) AA x AA
(vi) bb x Bb
The above crosses that are expected to produce only 50% homozygotes among the F1
progeny are:
[NEST 2015]
(A) (ii), (iii) and (v)
(B) (i), (iv) and (vi)
(C) (i), (ii) and (v)
(D) (i), (ii), (iii) and (vi)

69. A pedigree chart of a family with an autosomal recessive disease Z is given. Assume that
inheritance is Mendelian, and that all individuals with homozygous recessive genotype
have the disease. Circles in the pedigree represent females and squares represent males.
Filled shapes indicate affected individuals, while unfilled shapes indicate unaffected
individuals. If J does not have the recessive allele, the probability that I is a ‘carrier of
disease Z’ is
 [NEST 2016]
(A) 0.67
(B) 0.5
(C) 0.25
(D) 0

70. Assume that the coat color in a mammal is dictated by a genetically controlled
biosynthetic pathway as depicted in the diagram below

The pigment gene ‘X’ makes an enzyme ‘X’ that catalyzes the conversion of the
precursor to the gray pigment (P1). The dominant allele ‘X’ produces the enzyme
necessary for this conversion. Similarly, a dominant gene ‘Y’ produces an enzyme ‘Y’
that controls the conversion of the P1 to a black pigment (P2). On the other hand, the
dominant allele ‘Z’ produces an active enzyme ‘Z’ that can completely inhibit the
conversion of precursor to P1. In all cases, the recessive alleles respectively produce
defective enzymes with no activity. All the three genes assort independently with no
interference from other genes. State the color of a male with the genotype XXyyZZ and a
female with the genotype xxYYzz.
[NEST 2016]
(A) Male is black and female is white.
(B) Both male and female are white.
(C) Male is white and female is black.
(D) Male is grey and female is white.

71. Consider two unlinked genes P and Q. A plant with genotype PPQQ was crossed with
another plant with genotype ppqq to obtain F1 progeny. If the F1 progeny is testcrossed,
the percentage of resultant plants with the genotype ppqq will be:
[NEST 2017]
(A) 50%
(B) 25%
(C) 100%
(D) 10%
72. Two pedigrees (P and Q) are given below. Individual-1 in F0 generation of pedigree Q is
not a carrier of the trait. Circles in the pedigree represent females and squares represent
males. Filled shapes indicate affected individuals while unfilled shapes indicate unaffected
individuals.

Assuming Mendelian inheritance and complete penetrance of the traits, choose the
correct statement(s) from the following:
[NEST 2017]
(A) Both pedigrees P and Q represent autosomal recessive traits.
(B) Both pedigrees P and Q represent autosomal dominant traits.
(C) Pedigree P represents an autosomal recessive trait and Q represents an
autosomal dominant trait.
(D) Pedigree P represents an X-linked recessive trait and Q represents an autosomal
recessive trait.

73. In the ABC model of floral organ determination in Arabidopsis, the expression of class
A genes alone determines development of sepals, expression of class A genes along
with class B genes determines petal formation, expression of class B genes along with
class C genes determines formation of stamens and expression of class C genes alone
determines carpel formation. Loss of class B gene function would result in flowers
with whorls in the following order (from outer whorl to inner whorl)
[NEST 2018]
(A) Sepal, sepal, carpel, carpel
(B) Sepal, petal, petal, sepal
(C) Carpel, stamen, stamen, carpel
(D) Sepal, petal, stamen, carpel
74. A cross between two plants with genotypes, PpQq and PpQq was carried out where P
and Q are dominant over p and q, respectively. Of the total progeny obtained, the
proportion of the offspring that would only express one of the two dominant alleles is
[NEST 2018]
(A) 15/16
(B) 3/16
(C) 3/8
(D) 9/16

75. Seed traits of a given plant species following genetic inheritance are:
S=long, s=short
W=wrinkled, w=smooth
Y=yellow, y=white
R=ribbed, r=grooved
A cross was performed between two plants, P and Q of the same species, wherein, the
plant P bears seeds that are homozygous recessive for grooved, homozygous dominant
for long trait, and heterozygous for wrinkled texture and yellow color. The plant Q
bears seeds that are homozygous recessive for short and smooth traits, homozygous
dominant for yellow color and ribbed trait. Given that there are no influencing factors,
state the resulting phenotype of the offspring for this cross.
[NEST 2019]
(A) The seeds of half the plants would be long, smooth, yellow and grooved
(B) The seeds of half the plants would be long wrinkled, white and ribbed
(C) The seeds of all the plants would be long, wrinkled, yellow and ribbed
(D) The seeds of half the plants would be long, wrinkled, yellow and ribbed

76. In a plant, red flower color is dominant over white, tall stem is dominant over dwarf and
round seed shape is dominant over wrinkled. A plant that is heterozygous for all three
characters was allowed to self-fertilize. What is the proportion of the offspring expected
to be homozygous for red flower color, homozygous for tall stem and heterozygous for
seed shape?
[NEST 2019]
(A) ¼
(B) 1/8
(C) 1/32
(D) 1/16
77. A sex-linked recessive gene in humans produces color-blind men when hemizygous
(XcbY), and color-blind women when homozygous (XcbXcb). A non-linked, autosomal,
but sex-influenced gene for pattern baldness is dominant in men (BB or Bb) and is only
manifested in women when they are homozygous dominant (BB). A heterozygous bald,
color-blind man marries a non-bald woman with normal vision whose father was
non-bald and color-blind and whose mother was bald with normal vision. Choose the
correct option(s) for the phenotypic expectations for their children.
[NEST 2019]
(A) Non-bald, normal vision daughters are 3:8; Non-bald, normal vision sons
are 1:8
(B) Non-bald, color-blind daughters are 3:8; Non-bald, color-blind sons are
1:8
(C) Bald, normal vision daughters are 1:8; Bald, normal vision sons are 3:8
(D) Bald, color-blind daughters are 1:8; Bald, color-blind sons are 3:8

78. A group of researchers performed a genetic survey of two different human populations,
one living in a deep tropical forest and the other in a faraway metropolitan city of the
same country. Their hemoglobin genes were analyzed and classified as normal or sickle
cell anemic. Five years later, the same group of researchers performed another survey
for the occurrence of malaria in these two populations. The reports are tabulated as
follows:

Sickle cell anemia manifests in an individual because of a defective hemoglobin gene.

Assuming that the rate of exposure to malarial parasites remains constant both in forest
and in the city during the last 100 years, and other compounding factors do not exist,
which of the following statement(s) is/are most likely to be correct?
[NEST 2019]
 (A) The percentage of individuals dying due to anemia in both forest and city is
almost the same.
(B) Individuals carrying gene for sickle cell anemia are better protected against
malaria.
(C) Malarial infection is independent of the hemoglobin gene.
(D) Individuals carrying gene for normal hemoglobin are better protected against malaria.

79. A cross was performed between two parent plants of unknown genotypes. The
offspring were segregated based on two flower characteristics i.e., flower color
[magenta (M) or white] and flower position [axillary (A) or terminal] and counted. The
two genes responsible for these characters are not linked and segregate independently.
Based on the information given in the table, predict the genotypes of the parents.
[NEST 2020]

(A) MMaa × mmAA

(B) MmAa × mmAa
(C) MmAa × MmAa
(D) mmAa × MMaa

80. Genotypes along with their corresponding phenotypes for flower color is given
below.

Considering the inheritance is Mendelian, the correct statement(s) is(are)

_____________.
[NEST 2020]
 (A) A cross between CBCB and CBCB will result in offspring with all blue
color flowers. (B) A cross between CBCB and CBCB will result in 75% blue
color flowers.
(C) A cross between CBc and CBc will give at least 25% red color flowers.
(D) A cross between CBCB and cc will result in 50% red and 50% blue color flowers.

81. The deletion of a segment of mitochondrial DNA, specifically in the mature sperm of Mr.
P led to infertility. This deletion results in the lack of a mitochondrial transport protein X
critical for ATP production. Mr. P was referred to an Assisted Reproduction Centre for
several remedial possibilities. Based on this information, the correct option is
[NEST 2021]
(A) Treating Mr. P with a compound that stabilizes the defective protein X will
restore ATP production and fertility.
(B) Mr. P has an X-linked genetic disorder and therefore can father a baby only
with a genetically compatible female.
(C) The somatic cells of the male progeny of Mr. P resulting from its in vitro
fertilization will inherit defective mitochondria.
(D) An Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure followed by Zygote Intrafallopian
Transfer will help Mr. P father a baby.

82. In the given pedigree, circles represent females and squares represent males. Filled
shapes indicate affected individuals; while unfilled shapes indicate unaffected
individuals for a particular disease controlled by a gene P.

i. X-linked dominant
ii. Autosomal dominant
iii. Autosomal recessive
iv. The genotype of I-2 is Pp or PP
v. The genotype of II-2 and III-5 are same for the trait
 vi. The genotype of II-7 is Pp or PP
Analyze the inheritance pattern along with the genotype (P is dominant allele and p is
recessive allele) and choose the correct option(s).
[NEST 2021]
(A) i and vi
(B) ii and v
(C) ii and iv
(D) iii and vi

86. An angiosperm plant of genotype ppQqRRSS pollinates another plant with genotype
PPQQRRss. If the genes are not linked, the genotype of the embryo and endosperm in
the resulting seeds will be
[NEST 2021]
(A) Embryo: PPQQRRss; endosperm: PPpQQqRRRSss
(B) Embryo: PPQQRRss; endosperm: PppQQqRRRSSs
(C) Embryo: PpQqRRSs; endosperm: PPpQQqRRRSss
(D) Embryo: PpQqRRSs; endosperm: PPPQQqRRRSss

87. During evolution, the mitochondrial genome lost many genes, and some of these got
incorporated into the nuclear genome. Proteins synthesized in the cytoplasm are
transported to various destinations, including some that are secreted outside the cell.
Based on the transport and localization of proteins within cells, the correct option(s)
is(are)
[NEST 2021]
(A) All proteins with mitochondrial function are synthesized inside the
mitochondria.
(B) Proteins secreted outside the cell are not transported via the endoplasmic
reticulum.
(C) Some nuclear encoded proteins are transported to the mitochondria.
(D) All the proteins having nuclear function are synthesized in the cytoplasm.

88. In the given pedigree, circles represent females and squares represent males. Filled
shapes indicate affected individuals for a particular trait, while unfilled shapes indicate
unaffected individuals. Carrier status is not shown in the pedigree. Study the following
statements about this pedigree and choose the correct option(s).
[NEST 2021]
 Statement 1- Trait follows X-linked recessive mode of inheritance.
Statement 2- Trait follows X-linked dominant mode of inheritance.
Statement 3- Trait follows autosomal recessive mode of inheritance.
Statement 4- Individual II-1 is a carrier for the trait.
Statement 5- Individual III-4 is a carrier for the trait.
Statement 6- Individual I-1 is a carrier for the trait.

(A) Statements 1 and 4

(B) Statements 1 and 6
(C) Statements 2 and 6
(D) Statements 3 and 5

89. In a certain population of beetles that is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, black colour is a

recessive phenotype (hh) and grey colour is a dominant phenotype found in het- erozygous
(Hh) and homozygous individuals (HH). If the percentage of individuals with black colour
and grey colour in the population is 9% and 91%, respectively, then the percentage (%) of the
homozygous dominant (HH) individuals would be:
[NEST 2022]
(A) 45.5
(B) 30
(C) 49
(D) 70

90. In corn, the genotype C/-R/- results in colored kernels; whereas homozygous recessive
condition for at least one of these genes results in colorless kernels. Assuming that C and R
are unlinked genes, choose the correct statement(s):
[NEST 2022]
(A) A cross between plants CcRr and ccRR would result in 1/2 colored and 1/2 colorless
progeny
(B) A cross between plants CCRr and CCRR would result in 3/4 colored and 1/4 colorless
progeny
(C) A cross between plants CCRr and ccrr would result in 1/4 colored and 3/4 colorless
 progeny
(D) A cross between plants CcRr and CCRr would result in 1/2 colored and 1/2 colorless
progeny.

91. In a family, the third child showed Down's syndrome but neither of the parents nor siblings
of the affected child manifested symptoms of the syndrome. The possible reason for the
Down's syndrome only in the affected child is:
[NEST 2022]
(A) spontaneous mutations in the DNA of the child due to environmental factors
(B) chromosomal segregation defect during ovum development in the mother
(C) chromosomal segregation defects in the cells of the uterine wall of the mother during
foetus development
(D) DNA replication defects in the child resulting in translocation of chromo- somal arms.

92. The pedigree shown below represents the inheritance pattern of X-linked recessive color
blindness trait (genotype X). In the pedigree, circles represent females and squares represent
males. Filled shapes indicate affected individuals while unfilled shapes indicate unaffected
individuals. Individual III-1 exhibits Turner syndrome and also manifests color blindness.

[NEST 2022]
Genotypes of individual II-3 and III-5, respectively, would be:

(A) XX and XcX/XX

(B) XX and XX/XX
(C) Xo and XcXc
(D) XcX and XcXc
 SECTION C: IAT PYQs

93. Which one of the following pairs of genotype and phenotype ratios will be obtained in
the F2 generation for Snapdragon plants exhibiting incomplete dominance for red and
white flower color traits?
[IAT 2017]
(A) 3:1 and 1:2:1
(B) 3:1 and 3:1
(C) 1:2:1 and 1:2:1
(D) 1:2:1 and 3:1

94. The diagram below represents the pedigree of a certain genetic disease (affected
individuals are shaded). What is the mode of inheritance of the gene responsible for this
disease?
[IAT 2019]

(A) X-linked recessive

(B) Y-linked
(C) X-linked dominant
(D) Mitochondrial

95. A hypothetical plant species shows two flower color phenotypes – red and white. Red is
dominant over white. In a population, this flower color locus was found to be
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. If 490 out of a total population size of 1000 plants were
found to be white flowered, how many of the red-flowered plants will be heterozygous?
[IAT 2020]
(A) 90
(B) 700
(C) 580
(D) 420
 96. In a given species of flowering plant, the colour of the seeds is exclusively determined by the
colour of its seed coat. Seed coat colour in this species is governed by a nuclear gene with two
alleles. TheWHITE (W) allele is dominant over brown (w) allele. If a plant with brown seeds
(ww) is crossed as a female with pollen from a white seed (WW) plant, what will be the seed
colour and the genotype of the embryo in the resultant seeds obtained from this cross?
[IAT 2022]
(A) Brown seeds with Ww embryo
(B) White seeds with Ww embryo
(C) Brown seeds with ww embryo
(D) White seeds with ww embryo

97. A single point mutation in gene ‘X’ results in breathing difficulty, hypertension as well as
partial sterility. Which among the following phenomenon best explains the observed phenotypes?
[IAT 2022]
(A) Pleiotropy
(B) Incomplete dominance
(C) Linkage
(D) Partial dominance

98. In a cross between individuals of the genotypes PpQQRrSS and ppqqRrSS, what will be the
expected number of progenies with the genotype ppQQRrSS in a population of 400 individuals,
assuming independent assortment?
[IAT 2022]
(A) 0
(B) 100
(C) 200
(D) 25
 Principles of Inheritance and Variations

Exercise-II

SECTION A: KVPY PYQs

1.C
2.B
3.D
4.A
5.C
6.B
7.C
8.A
9.D
10.D
11.C
12.B
13.C
14.C
15.A
16.C
17.D
18.A
19.D
20.C
21.B
22.B
23.D
24.C
25.A
26.D
27.B
28.A
29.C
30.B
31.C
32.D
33.B
34.A
35.C
36.B
37.B
38.D
39.B
40.A
41.A
42.B
43.D
44.A
45.C
46.B
47.C
48.A
49.D
50.D
51.C
52.A
53.A
54.A
55.A
56.C
57.D
58.D
59.B
60.C

SECTION B: NEST PYQs

61.A
62.A,B,C,D
63.C
64.A,B,C
65.A
66.A
67.B
68.A
69.B
70.C
71.A
72.C
73.C
74.A,B,C,D
75.A,B,C
76.B
77.Wrong question
78.B
79.C
80.C
81.C
82.D
83.C
84.A,B,C
85.A

SECTION C: IAT PYQs

93.C
94.A
95.C
96.B
97.D
98.A