Final answer:
The statement concerning dominance of terminal flower position and yellow flower color in pea plants is false based on Mendel's principle of dominance, where axial flower positioning is actually dominant, and color dominance can display incomplete dominance leading to intermediate colors. The correct answer is option b.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Dominance in Pea Plants
In pea plants, flower position and flower color are two traits that are often studied in genetics. The question pertains to the principles of dominance as exhibited in pea plant breeding. For flower position, the trait of having terminal flowers is stated to be dominant over auxiliary (axial) flowers, which would be incorrect based on the referenced information provided. When it comes to flower color, the assertion is that yellow is dominant over red. Let's consider a hypothetical scenario where we have pea plants heterozygous for both the traits of flower position and color.
According to Mendel's principle of dominance, dominant traits are the ones that appear in the phenotype of hybrid organisms. The text references axial flower positioning as dominant over terminal; therefore, the initial claim regarding terminal dominance is incorrect. As for the flower color, if we consider a case similar to the flower color in petunias stated in the question, where neither allele is completely dominant and both contribute to the phenotype—resulting in an intermediate color (e.g., pink from red and white)—this also conflicts with the question statement granting complete dominance to yellow flowers.
Therefore, if one were to answer the question based on the information provided, the statement 'terminal flower position dominates auxiliary flowers and yellow flowers dominate red flowers to plants heterozygous for both the traits are hybridized' is false