Understanding Inheritance: The Concept of Dominant and Recessive Traits and their Impact on Offspring Height

A tall parent plant and a short parent plant mate. if tall F1 plants self-pollinate, what will the F2 plants look like?

When a tall parent plant and a short parent plant mate, the height of the offspring is determined by the principles of inheritance

When a tall parent plant and a short parent plant mate, the height of the offspring is determined by the principles of inheritance. In this scenario, we need to understand the concept of dominant and recessive traits.

Let’s assume that the trait for tallness (T) is dominant, while the trait for shortness (t) is recessive. When the tall parent (Tt) and short parent (tt) mate, their offspring, the F1 generation, will all be tall (Tt). This is because the dominant trait for tallness masks the recessive trait for shortness.

Now, when the tall F1 plants self-pollinate, they will produce the F2 generation. Since the F1 plants are tall (Tt), they can pass on either the dominant (T) or the recessive (t) trait to their offspring.

If we consider the possible combinations of the gametes produced by the self-pollinating F1 plants, we get: TT, Tt, Tt, and tt. Each offspring in the F2 generation will receive one set of alleles from each parent.

The dominant trait for tallness (T) will be expressed in both the TT and Tt individuals. Therefore, approximately 75% of the F2 plants will be tall (T_) in this scenario. The recessive trait for shortness (t) will only be expressed in individuals with the tt genotype, which will account for about 25% of the F2 plants, making them short.

To summarize, the F2 generation will consist of approximately 75% tall plants and 25% short plants. However, it’s important to note that these ratios are based on Mendelian genetics and assume no other genetic factors are involved. In reality, there can be variations and complexities in inheritance due to additional genes and environmental factors.

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