Question

In peas, seed pods can be green (G) or yellow (g). The Punnett square shows a cross between a plant with green seed pods and a plant with yellow seed pods. Which statement explains why all offspring have green seed pods?

(A) All the offspring have the dominant allele.
(B) All the offspring have the recessive allele.
(C) Both parents have a dominant allele.
(D) Both parents have a recessive allele.

Answer 1

When a plant with green seed pods is crossed with a plant with yellow seed pods in pea plants, all offspring have green seed pods because they all inherit the dominant green allele (G). A Punnett square analysis of this cross would result in all offspring being heterozygous (Gg) for the green pod color.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to genetics and the inheritance patterns of pea plants. Green seed pods are dominant (G) over yellow seed pods (g). When crossing a plant with green seed pods with a plant with yellow seed pods, the correct statement explaining why all offspring have green seed pods is that (A) All the offspring have the dominant allele.

This is because, in the presented scenario, one parent must be homozygous dominant (GG) for green seed pods, and the other is homozygous recessive (gg) for yellow seed pods. The offspring would all be heterozygous (Gg) and exhibit the dominant green pod color. A Punnett square analysis for the F1 generation would show that all possible combinations result in the genotype containing at least one G allele, which is responsible for the green phenotype.