Question

Corn kernels have an outer endosperm and an inner endosperm. A purple outer endosperm is dominant to a

colorless (clear) outer endosperm. A yellow inner endosperm is dominant to a white inner endosperm. The inner
endosperm color is not seen if the outer endosperm color is the dominant form. If the outer color is recessive
or suppressed, the inner color is visible.
The genetic codes are as follows:
R = purple outer endosperm
r = colorless outer endosperm
Y = yellow inner endosperm
y = white inner endosperm
C = dominant color suppressor c= no dominant color suppressor
A. What is the pattern of inheritance for corn kernel color?
a. autosomal Mendelian
b. X-linked
c. Codominance
d. Incomplete Dominance
e. Polygenic
f. Epistasis

Answer 1

I think the correct answer from the choices listed above is option E. The pattern of inheritance for the corn kernel color would be polygenic. It occurs when one characteristic is controlled by two or more genes. Often the genes are large in quantity but small in effect.