Two pure-breeding wheat strains, one producing dark red kernels and the other producing white kernels, are crossed to produce F₁ with pink kernel color. When an F₁ plant is self-fertilized and its seed collected and planted, the resulting F₂ consist of 160 plants with kernel colors as shown in the following table. Kernel Color Number White   9 Dark red 12 Red 39 Light pink 41 Pink 59 If an F₁ plant is crossed to a dark red plant, what are the expected progeny phenotypes and what is the expected proportion of each phenotype?

Key Concepts

Mendelian Inheritance

Mendelian inheritance refers to the principles of heredity established by Gregor Mendel, which include the concepts of dominant and recessive traits. In this scenario, the dark red kernel color is likely dominant over white, while pink is an intermediate phenotype. Understanding these principles helps predict the phenotypic ratios in offspring based on parental genotypes.

Phenotypic Ratios

Phenotypic ratios describe the relative frequencies of different phenotypes in the offspring of a genetic cross. In this case, the F₂ generation's phenotypic ratio can be analyzed to determine the expected outcomes when crossing an F₁ plant with a dark red plant. This involves applying the principles of probability to predict the distribution of phenotypes based on known ratios from previous generations.

Genotype and Phenotype

Genotype refers to the genetic makeup of an organism, while phenotype is the observable expression of that genotype, influenced by environmental factors. In this question, understanding the genotypes of the F₁ and dark red plants is crucial for predicting the phenotypes of their progeny. The expected phenotypes can be derived from the genotypes involved in the cross, allowing for accurate predictions of the offspring's characteristics.