Mendel was the first scientist to study the pattern of inheritance. He is known as the father of genetics and proposed the laws of inheritance. He selected pea plants (Pisum sativum) to carry out his study on the inheritance of characters from parents to offspring. Mendel carried the process of self-pollination followed by cross-pollination in his experiment.
In the cross pollination, what was the proportion of green-wrinkled seeds?

Options

A. `9//16`
B. `3//16`
C. `1//16`
D. `6//16`

Answer

To determine the proportion of green-wrinkled seeds in Mendel's cross-pollination experiments, we need to understand the principles of a dihybrid cross. Here’s a step-by-step solution:

### Step 1: Understand the Traits
Mendel studied two traits in pea plants: seed color and seed shape. The two colors he used were yellow (dominant) and green (recessive), and the two shapes were round (dominant) and wrinkled (recessive).

### Step 2: Define the Alleles
- For seed color:
- Yellow (Y) is dominant
- Green (y) is recessive
- For seed shape:
- Round (R) is dominant
- Wrinkled (r) is recessive

### Step 3: Set Up the Parental Generation
Mendel started with true-breeding plants:
- One parent with yellow round seeds (YYRR)
- One parent with green wrinkled seeds (yyrr)

### Step 4: Perform the F1 Generation Cross
When these two plants are crossed, all offspring (F1 generation) will have the genotype YyRr (yellow round seeds) because yellow and round are dominant traits.

### Step 5: Perform the F2 Generation Cross
Next, Mendel self-pollinated the F1 generation (YyRr x YyRr). This results in a dihybrid cross.

### Step 6: Create a Punnett Square
To find the F2 generation ratios, we can use a 16-square Punnett square. The possible gametes from YyRr are:
- YR
- Yr
- yR
- yr

### Step 7: Determine the F2 Generation Ratios
When we fill out the Punnett square, we get the following phenotypic ratio:
- Yellow Round (YYRR, YYRr, YyRR, YyRr): 9
- Yellow Wrinkled (YYrr, Yyrr): 3
- Green Round (yyRR, yyRr): 3
- Green Wrinkled (yyrr): 1

### Step 8: Identify the Proportion of Green-Wrinkled Seeds
From the above ratios, the proportion of green-wrinkled seeds (yyrr) is 1 out of 16.

### Final Answer
The proportion of green-wrinkled seeds in Mendel's cross-pollination experiment is **1 out of 16**.

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