Phenotypic Ratio Analysis Reveals Hairy vs Hairless Offspring
What is the phenotypic ratio of the offspring in the given data?
The phenotypic ratio of 1/3 hairy and 2/3 hairless.
Can you predict the genotype and phenotype for each of the offspring?
List the predicted genotypes for the offspring and identify which are hairless and which are hairy.
Phenotypic Ratio and Predicted Genotypes:
The Punnett square for the cross would be as follows:
Hh x Hh
HH Hh
Hh hh
Genotypes and Phenotypes:
The predicted genotypes for the offspring would be 50% HH (hairy) and 50% hh (hairless).
The genotypes of the offspring are HH (hairy) and hh (hairless).
The hairless genotype dominates over the hairy genotype; hence, the hairless offspring dominate the hairy offspring. In this case, H is the dominant gene, and h is the recessive gene. Therefore, the genotypes that are hairless are HH, and the genotypes that are hairy are hh.
Understanding Phenotypic Ratios and Genotypes:
Phenotypic ratios provide insight into the distribution of observable traits within a population. In this case, the data indicates that out of every 3 offspring, 1 will display the hairy trait while the remaining 2 will exhibit the hairless trait.
By using a Punnett square, geneticists can predict the possible genotypes of offspring resulting from a genetic cross. In the given scenario, crossing two individuals with the genotype Hh (heterozygous for the hair trait) yields a 50% chance of offspring being HH (hairy) and a 50% chance of being hh (hairless). The dominant-recessive relationship between the H and h alleles determines the expressed phenotype, with hairless being the dominant trait in this case.
Understanding how genotypes translate into observable phenotypes is essential in genetics, allowing researchers to predict and analyze the inheritance patterns of specific traits. In this situation, the hair texture trait is governed by simple Mendelian genetics, where the dominance of the hairless genotype leads to its prevalence among the offspring.