A homozygous strain of corn that produces yellow kernels is crossed with another homozygous strain that produces purple kernels. When the F₁ are interbred, 280 of the F₂ are yellow and 70 are purple. A) If kernel color is controlled by a single gene pair with yellow dominant to purple, what would be the expected ratio of yellow to purple in the F₂? B) Do the observed data differ significantly from that expected in (a)? Explain your answer. C) Provide an alternative explanation for the inheritance of kernel color and evaluate it by comparing the observed data to that expected from your alternative hypothesis.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If kernel color in corn is controlled by a single gene pair with yellow being dominant to purple, we would expect a Mendelian inheritance pattern. Since both parent strains are homozyous, one being yellow (YY) and the other purple (pp), the F1 generation would all be heterozygous (Yp) and display the dominant yellow phenotype.

A Homozygous Strain of Corn That Produces Yellow Kernels Is