Question

A woman who has normal arches and a straight hairline has children with a man who has flat feet and a widow’s peak. The phenotypes of their children include: One has a straight hairline and normal arches, one has a widow’s peak and normal arches, one has a straight hairline and flat feet, and one has a widow’s peak and flat feet.

what are the genotypes for the mother and father?

Answer 1

Both the woman and the man carry two dominant genes for a straight hairline and normal arches, as well as two recessive genes for a widow's peak and flat feet. When their children are born, each child inherits one gene from each parent for each trait. This can result in different combinations of genes, which can lead to varying phenotypes. For instance, a child with a straight hairline and normal arches might receive two dominant genes for those traits, one from each parent. On the other hand, a child with a widow's peak and flat feet could receive two recessive genes for those traits from both parents. This situation exemplifies the inheritance of multiple traits and the offspring's phenotypes are shaped by the combination of dominant and recessive genes they receive from their parents.