Chapter 9.5, Problem 1MS

Mendel’s snapdragons. Another of Mendel’s experiments involved red-flowered and white-flowered snapdragons. Through crossbreeding experiments he concluded that each flower had two genes. The red flowers had two red genes while the white had two white genes. We will call those parent plants the first generation. When two flowers bred, the offspring received one gene from each parent. If the offspring inherited one red and one white gene, unlike the case of the peapod color, in the flower the genes combined to produce a pink flower. Suppose a red-flowered snapdragon breeds with a white-flowered snapdragon. What are the possible gene outcomes for the second generation of this crossbreeding?

To determine

To find: the possible gene outcomes for the second generation of this crossbreeding.

Answer to Problem 1MS

The second generation of crossbreeding should produce 25% red flowers,

25% white flowers, and 50% pink flowers

Explanation of Solution

Given information:

Another of Mendel’s experiments involved red flowered and white- flowered snapdragons. Through crossbreeding experiments he concluded that each flower had two gens. The red flowers had two red genes while the white had two white genes. We will call those parent plants the first generation. When two flowers bred, the offspring received one gene, unlike the case of the peapod color, in the flower the genes combined to produce a pink flower. Suppose a red flowered snapdragon breeds with a white-flowered snapdragon.

Calculation:

The diagram below shows the possibilities:

Thus, from the diagram the second generation of crossbreeding should produce 25% red flowers, 25% white flowers, and 50% pink flowers.