Question

The figure shown indicates the genotypes of two pea plants. Which of the following is true for a cross of these two plants?

A. Fifty percent of the offspring will have the same phenotype as one of the parents
B. None of the offspring will have the same phenotype as one of the parents,
C. All of the offspring will have the same phenotype as one of the parents.
D. Seventy-five percent of the offspring will have the same phenotype as one of the parents.

Answer 1

In the cross between two heterozygous pea plants, 75% of the offspring are expected to exhibit the same dominant phenotype as one of the parents.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is about predicting the genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring when crossing two heterozygous pea plants. According to Mendelian genetics and the Punnett square analysis, when you cross two heterozygous individuals (both Bb), the offspring will exhibit a genotypic ratio of 1:2:1, which means one will be homozygous dominant (BB), two will be heterozygous (Bb), and one will be homozygous recessive (bb). Applying the principle of dominance, the phenotypic ratio will be 3:1 because the dominant trait will mask the recessive trait in heterozygotes.

Therefore, we can predict that 75 percent of the offspring will exhibit the dominant phenotype, and 25 percent will exhibit the recessive phenotype. In this specific scenario, the correct answer is D: Seventy-five percent of the offspring will have the same phenotype as one of the parents, because of the dominance of one allele over the other.