Final answer:
A heterozygous white fruited plant crossed with a yellow fruited plant in squash, where white is dominant, is expected to produce a 1:1 ratio of white to yellow offspring. This is a simple Mendelian monohybrid cross yielding 50% white and 50% yellow, based on the dominant and recessive inheritance pattern.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a heterozygous white fruited plant is crossed with a yellow fruited plant in squash, where white is dominant over yellow, a 1:1 phenotypic ratio of offspring is expected. This means that 50% of the offspring will be white and 50% will be yellow. The genotypic representation of the heterozygous white plant is Ww (white dominant over yellow), while the yellow plant is ww (homozygous recessive).
The cross will yield the following: Ww (white parent) x ww (yellow parent), which results in two possible allele combinations in the offspring: Ww (white) and ww (yellow). Therefore, after applying the principles of Mendelian genetics, we can expect 50% Ww (white) and 50% ww (yellow) in the offspring. This is determined through a simple Punnett square analysis or by understanding the law of segregation.