Table of contents
- 1. Introduction to Genetics51m
- 2. Mendel's Laws of Inheritance3h 37m
- 3. Extensions to Mendelian Inheritance2h 41m
- 4. Genetic Mapping and Linkage2h 28m
- 5. Genetics of Bacteria and Viruses1h 21m
- 6. Chromosomal Variation1h 48m
- 7. DNA and Chromosome Structure56m
- 8. DNA Replication1h 10m
- 9. Mitosis and Meiosis1h 34m
- 10. Transcription1h 0m
- 11. Translation58m
- 12. Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes1h 19m
- 13. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes44m
- 14. Genetic Control of Development44m
- 15. Genomes and Genomics1h 50m
- 16. Transposable Elements47m
- 17. Mutation, Repair, and Recombination1h 6m
- 18. Molecular Genetic Tools19m
- 19. Cancer Genetics29m
- 20. Quantitative Genetics1h 26m
- 21. Population Genetics50m
- 22. Evolutionary Genetics29m
3. Extensions to Mendelian Inheritance
Epistasis and Complementation
Problem 24a
Textbook Question
Blue flower color is produced in a species of morning glories when dominant alleles are present at two gene loci, A and B. (Plants with the genotype have blue flowers.) Purple flowers result when a dominant allele is present at only one of the two gene loci, A or B. (Plants with the genotypes and are purple.) Flowers are red when the plant is homozygous recessive for each gene (i.e., aabb).
Two pure-breeding purple strains are crossed, and all the F₁ plants have blue flowers. What are the genotypes of the parental plants?
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1
Identify the genotypes that result in purple flowers: AaBB, AABb, aaBB, or AAbb.
Recognize that the F₁ generation has blue flowers, which means they must have at least one dominant allele at both loci (A and B).
Since the F₁ generation is blue, the parental genotypes must each contribute a dominant allele at both loci when combined.
Consider that the parental plants are pure-breeding purple strains, meaning they are homozygous at one locus and heterozygous at the other.
Determine that the parental genotypes could be AAbb and aaBB, as their cross would result in AaBb offspring, which have blue flowers.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Dominant and Recessive Alleles
In genetics, alleles are different forms of a gene that can exist at a specific locus on a chromosome. Dominant alleles mask the expression of recessive alleles in heterozygous conditions. In this case, the presence of dominant alleles at both gene loci (A and B) results in blue flowers, while the absence of these dominant alleles leads to purple or red flowers.
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Variations on Dominance
Gene Loci
Gene loci refer to specific locations on chromosomes where genes are situated. In this scenario, two loci, A and B, influence flower color in morning glories. The interaction between alleles at these loci determines the phenotype, or observable traits, of the flowers, illustrating the concept of epistasis where one gene's expression is affected by another.
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Mapping Genes
Punnett Square and Genetic Crosses
A Punnett square is a tool used to predict the genotypes of offspring from a genetic cross. By analyzing the parental genotypes, one can determine the possible combinations of alleles in the F₁ generation. In this case, crossing two pure-breeding purple strains (genotypes AAbb and aaBB) results in F₁ plants with the genotype AaBb, which express the blue flower phenotype due to the presence of dominant alleles at both loci.
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