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, F1, and F2 generations are identified based on their characteristics and the processes they undergo in plant breeding experiments. The P generation represents the initial parental plants, the F1 generation represents the first offspring generation, and the F2 generation represents the second offspring generation after self-fertilization.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement “The plants in the P generation were allowed to self-pollinate” describes the P generation. In Mendel's experiments, the P generation refers to the plants that were used for first-generation crosses.

The statement “The plants in the F1 generation are true breeding” describes the F1 generation. The F1 generation refers to the offspring plants that result from the cross between the P generation plants. These F1 plants are true breeding, meaning they consistently produce offspring with the same trait as themselves.

The statement “After a cross, there are three times as many tall plants as there are short plants in the F2 generation” describes the F2 generation. The F2 generation refers to the offspring plants produced by allowing the F1 generation plants to self-fertilize. In this specific case, the ratio of tall to short plants in the F2 generation is 3:1.