The following figure shows three generations in one of Mendel's experiments.According to the data in this figure,Mendel's F₂ generation contains many more purple flowers than white flowers.Which of the following is the best explanation of this observation?
A) Three-quarters of the offspring must receive the white allele.
B) The chance of an individual offspring receiving a white allele is only 25 percent.
C) The probability of any individual offspring receiving at least one copy of the purple allele is 75 percent.
D) The white allele is only dominant in about 25 percent of the offspring that inherit it.

Question

The following figure shows three generations in one of Mendel's experiments.According to the data in this figure,Mendel's F₂ generation contains many more purple flowers than white flowers.Which of the following is the best explanation of this observation? 
A) Three-quarters of the offspring must receive the white allele. 
B) The chance of an individual offspring receiving a white allele is only 25 percent. 
C) The probability of any individual offspring receiving at least one copy of the purple allele is 75 percent. 
D) The white allele is only dominant in about 25 percent of the offspring that inherit it.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This observation can be explained by the fact that the purple flower color is dominant over the white color, and the probability of any individual offspring receiving at least one copy of the purple allele is 75 percent. Therefore, in the F₂ generation, which is the result of crosses between F₁ plants, there are many more purple flowers than white flowers. Option A is incorrect because it does not explain why the F₂ generation contains more purple flowers. Option B is incorrect because it suggests that the chance of an individual offspring receiving a white allele is higher than the chance of receiving a purple allele, which is not true in this case. Option D is incorrect because it suggests that the white allele is dominant in some offspring, which is not true since it is recessive to the purple allele.

The Following Figure Shows Three Generations in One of Mendel's