Question

If the lethargic gene is ______, then a _____ _____ may be involved. In that case, some of the ____ progeny could would be ______ because maternal effects are temporary, affecting only the immediate progeny.

Answer 1

The question deals with a recessive lethargic gene potentially following a recessive lethal inheritance pattern. Epigenetics plays a key role in explaining how this phenotype can be observed in the F1 progeny due to maternal effects despite the absence of altered DNA sequences.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the lethargic gene is recessive, then a recessive lethal inheritance pattern may be involved. In that case, some of the F1 progeny could be lethargic because maternal effects are temporary, affecting only the immediate progeny.

Epigenetics

illustrates how environmental factors and gene-environment interactions can affect gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. For instance, exposure to environmental toxins can lead to epigenetic changes that affect not only the individual exposed but also their offspring and successive generations.

Maternal effects, such as the exposure of pregnant rats to a toxin, can result in epigenetic changes that are transient yet still influence the health and development of the immediate offspring and potentially future generations, as seen in the physiological and behavioral changes that occur in the pups due to changes in the expression pattern of the genes.