Biology 9700 · AS & A Level · Passage of information from parents to offspring

Passage of information from parents to offspring — practice question

In the freshwater fish species $Oryzias\ latipes$, individuals show four body colour patterns, as set out in Table 5.1. Two unlinked genes determine the body colour patterns shown in Table 5.1. One gene governs whether the body colour is red or white: • dominant allele $R$ = red • recessive allele $r$ = white. The other gene governs whether black spots are present or absent: • dominant allele $B$ = with black spots • recessive allele $b$ = without black spots. A fish that is homozygous recessive at both loci is white. Genetic crosses were used to investigate how the four body colour patterns are inherited. Males that were red with black spots, and homozygous at both loci, were crossed with females that were white. The F1 offspring were all red with black spots. These F1 offspring were then crossed to produce the F2 generation.
(a)[3]

Table 5.2 gives the observed counts for each of the four phenotypes in the F2 generation. Calculate $\chi^2$ for the F2 generation by completing Table 5.2. Use $\chi^2 = \sum \frac{(O - E)^2}{E}$ as the formula.

(b)[2]

At $p = 0.05$ with 3 degrees of freedom, the critical value is $7.815$. Comment on whether the null hypothesis ought to be accepted or rejected.

(c)[4]

For the F2 generation, red males with black spots, $X^R Y^R Bb$, were crossed with red females with black spots, $X^R X^r Bb$. Complete the Punnett square in Fig. 5.1 to display the genotypes and phenotypes of the F2 generation. Use $X^R$, $X^r$ and $Y^R$ for the alleles of the gene that controls body colour. Use $B$ and $b$ for the alleles of the gene that controls whether black spots are present or absent.

(d)[2]

Explain why there are no white males or males that are white with black spots in the F2 generation.

(e)[2]

In a different cross, red males with genotype $X^R Y^R bb$ were mated with white females with genotype $X^r X^r bb$. All male offspring were predicted to be red and all female offspring were predicted to be white. The observed outcome included two red females out of 253 and one white male out of 198. Suggest an explanation for this unexpected result.

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