Question

Identifying the Generation

For each of the following statements, indicate whether the statement describes the P generation, F1 generation, or F2 generation.

The plants in the
were allowed to self-pollinate.
The plants in the
are true breeding.
After a cross, there are three times as many tall plants as there are short plants in the

Answer 1

The P generation is the original true-breeding plants, the F1 generation consists of their uniform offspring, and the F2 generation displays a 3:1 dominant-recessive trait ratio after self-pollination of the F1 generation.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Mendelian genetics, the P generation refers to the parental generation, or the original true-breeding plants that are crossed. The F1 generation is the first filial generation of offspring from the P generation plants, and these are typically uniform in their traits. The F2 generation arises when the F1 generation plants are allowed to self-pollinate, and this generation displays a re-emergence of the recessive traits in a predictable ratio, often demonstrating a 3:1 trait dominance in traits like plant height.

The statements described in the question correspond to each generation as follows:

• The plants in the F1 generation were allowed to self-pollinate.
• The plants in the P generation are true breeding.
• After a cross, there are three times as many tall plants as there are short plants in the F2 generation.

Mendel observed that in the F2 generation of his pea plant experiments, there were often three tall plants for every short plant, which is indicative of a single trait dominant-recessive inheritance pattern where the tall trait is dominant and the short trait is recessive.