CBSE · Class 10 · Science · HeredityExplain Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment with the help of a dihybrid cross. Also, write the phenotypic and genotypic ratios of the F2 generation.
Step-by-Step Solution
Introduction to the Law of Independent Assortment\nMendel's Law of Independent Assortment is the third principal law of inheritance. It states that when two pairs of traits are combined in a hybrid, segregation of one pair of characters is independent of the other pair of characters. In other words, alleles of two (or more) different genes get sorted into gametes independently of one another.
Explanation via Dihybrid Cross\nTo study this, Mendel crossed pea plants with two contrasting characteristics: round-yellow seeds (RRYY) and wrinkled-green seeds (rryy).
- Parents: Round Yellow (RRYY) × Wrinkled Green (rryy)
- Gametes produced by parents: RY and ry
- F1 Generation: All offspring were Round Yellow with the genotype RrYy, demonstrating that the dominant traits mask the recessive ones. \nWhen the F1 generation plants (RrYy) were self-pollinated, they produced four types of gametes in equal proportions: RY, Ry, rY, and ry.
Punnett Square and F2 Generation\nA 16-box Punnett square is used to determine the combinations. The resulting F2 generation displays four distinct phenotypes in a specific ratio:
- Round Yellow: 9
- Round Green: 3
- Wrinkled Yellow: 3
- Wrinkled Green: 1
Ratios
- Phenotypic Ratio: 9 : 3 : 3 : 1
- Genotypic Ratio: A complex 1:2:1:2:4:2:1:2:1 ratio representing the different genetic combinations.
Conclusion\nThis clearly demonstrates that the genes for seed shape and seed color are inherited independently of each other, proving the Law of Independent Assortment.
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