In a unique species of plants, flowers may be yellow, blue, red, or mauve. All colors may be true breeding. If plants with blue flowers are crossed to red-flowered plants, all F₁ plants have yellow flowers. When these produced an F₂ generation, the following ratio was observed: 9/16 yellow: 3/16 blue: 3/16 red: 1/16 mauve In still another cross using true-breeding parents, yellow-flowered plants are crossed with mauve-flowered plants. Again, all F₁ plants had yellow flowers and the F₂ showed a 9:3:3:1 ratio, as just shown. Determine the F₁ and F₂ results of a cross between true-breeding red and true-breeding mauve-flowered plants.

Key Concepts

Mendelian Genetics

Mendelian genetics is the study of how traits are inherited through generations based on the principles established by Gregor Mendel. It involves understanding dominant and recessive alleles, where dominant traits mask the expression of recessive ones. This framework helps explain the inheritance patterns observed in the F₁ and F₂ generations of the plant crosses described in the question.

Phenotypic Ratios

Phenotypic ratios represent the relative frequencies of different observable traits in the offspring resulting from a genetic cross. In the given question, the 9:3:3:1 ratio indicates the expected distribution of flower colors in the F₂ generation, which arises from the combination of alleles contributed by the parents. Understanding these ratios is crucial for predicting the outcomes of genetic crosses.

True Breeding

True breeding refers to organisms that consistently produce offspring with a specific phenotype when self-fertilized or crossed with another true-breeding individual of the same phenotype. In the context of the question, true-breeding red and mauve-flowered plants will produce offspring that exhibit predictable traits, which is essential for determining the F₁ and F₂ results of their cross.