Final answer:
The correct option to define the inheritance of the mutant purple leaf corn plant is Mendelian Inheritance. The 3:1 segregation ratio in the F2 generation supports this, reflecting dominant (purple) and recessive (green) traits as observed in Mendel's classic pea plant experiments. The correct option that defines the inheritance of this mutant trait is 4) Mendelian Inheritance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scenario in which a corn breeder discovers a mutant purple leaf corn plant and observes a 3 purple : 1 green segregation in the F2 generation after crossing with a normal green leaf plant reflects a typical Mendelian Inheritance pattern. According to Gregor Mendel's principles, the traits segregate in such a way where the purple color, in this case, is the dominant trait while the green color is recessive. Mendel's experiments on pea plants showed similar patterns, with the dominant allele expressing itself in the F1 generation and both dominant and recessive traits segregating in the F2 generation following a 3:1 ratio.
The Presence of a 3 dominant (purple) to 1 recessive (green) phenotype ratio in the F2 progeny infers that the purple trait is dominant over the green one. This is confirmed as the F1 all show the purple phenotype, indicating that the purple parent had the dominant allele. The F2 ratio is consistent with Mendel's Law of Segregation, which stipulates that the two alleles for a heritable character segregate during gamete formation and end up in different gametes. If we were to use a Punnett square to predict the genotypes of the F2 generation in this scenario, it would confirm the presence of three plants with at least one dominant purple allele (PP or Pp) and one plant with two recessive green alleles (pp). The correct option that defines the inheritance of this mutant trait is 4) Mendelian Inheritance.