A fly embryo that expresses the bicoid mutant phenotype
A)is genetically wild-type,but has a bicoid mutant mother.
B)is mutant for bicoid and has a bicoid mutant mother.
C)may be either genetically wild-type or mutant for bicoid,but definitely has a bicoid mutant mother.
D)can be either genetically wild-type or mutant for bicoid.The genotype of the mother cannot be determined from the information provided.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bicoid gene is a maternal effect gene, meaning the phenotype of the embryo is determined by the genotype of the mother, not the embryo itself. Therefore, a fly embryo expressing the bicoid mutant phenotype could be genetically wild-type or mutant for bicoid, but it must have a bicoid mutant mother.

A Fly Embryo That Expresses the Bicoid Mutant Phenotype