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What are the genotypes of these flies?

a. white eyed, male
b. red eyed female (heterozygous).
c. white eyed, female
d. red eyed, male

2 Answers

4 votes

If both red eyed flies crossed it would make a red eyed child

If they both have white eyes the baby would have white eyes

If one has red eyes and one has white eyes it would be whichever chromosome that the parent gave to the child

User Niall Cosgrove
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4 votes

The genotype of this fly is w+/w+/XY.

How to determine genotype?

To determine the genotypes of the flies, consider the inheritance patterns of eye color in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies).

Eye color: There are two main alleles for eye color in fruit flies - white (w) and red (w+). Red is dominant over white, meaning a fly with one w+ allele and one w allele will have red eyes (heterozygous). A fly with two w alleles will have white eyes (homozygous recessive).

Sex: Fruit flies have XX sex chromosomes for females and XY for males.

a. white eyed, male:

White eyes indicate two w alleles (ww).

Males have XY chromosomes.

Therefore, the genotype of this fly is wW/XY.

b. red eyed female (heterozygous):

Red eyes indicate at least one w+ allele.

Heterozygous means one w+ allele and one w allele.

Females have XX chromosomes.

Therefore, the genotype of this fly is w+/w/XX.

c. white eyed, female:

White eyes indicate two w alleles (ww).

Females have XX chromosomes.

Therefore, the genotype of this fly is ww/XX.

d. red eyed, male:

Red eyes indicate at least one w+ allele.

Males have XY chromosomes.

Since only the w+ allele can result in red eyes in males, this fly must have two w+ alleles (homozygous dominant).

Therefore, the genotype of this fly is w+/w+/XY.

User Fred Loney
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