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Why would a single copy of the mutant allele confer white eyes for a male?

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Final answer:

A single copy of the mutant allele X" in Drosophila males confers white eyes because they lack a second allele copy on the Y chromosome. This means that if a male inherits the X" allele, there is no dominant red-eye allele to mask the effects of the mutant allele.

Step-by-step explanation:

The white eye color in Drosophila is caused by a mutant allele called X".

In males, the X chromosome contains only one allele for any X-linked characteristic because they lack a second allele copy on the Y chromosome.

Therefore, if a male inherits the X" allele, he will have white eyes because he does not have a dominant red-eye allele to mask the effects of the mutant allele.

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