Monohybrid Cross: Understanding the Basics

What is a monohybrid cross?

A monohybrid cross is made between plants that...

What is the purpose of a monohybrid cross?

The breeding of two organisms that differ in a single trait or phenotype.

Answer:

A monohybrid cross involves breeding two organisms that differ in a single trait or phenotype. This allows us to study the inheritance pattern of that specific trait in the offspring. Through analyzing the results of a monohybrid cross, geneticists can make predictions about how traits are passed on from one generation to the next.

In a monohybrid cross, the parents are usually true-breeding for the specific trait being studied. For example, if we are looking at flower color in pea plants, one parent may have white flowers (genotype: WW) and the other parent may have purple flowers (genotype: ww). When these two parents are crossed, their offspring (F1 generation) will all have the genotype Ww, where W represents the dominant white allele and w represents the recessive purple allele.

Through the process of meiosis and genetic recombination, the F1 generation will produce gametes with different combinations of alleles. When these F1 gametes are crossed with each other, the resulting F2 generation will exhibit a phenotypic ratio of 3:1 for the dominant and recessive traits, respectively.

This classic Mendelian experiment helps us understand how genes are inherited and how they segregate during sexual reproduction. It also provides a foundation for more complex genetic studies, such as dihybrid crosses and genetic linkage.