Homework 1 - Chapters 2, 3.

End-of-Chapter Problem

2.4. Discuss the concepts of homologous chromosomes, diploidy, and haploidy.

2.6. Identify the events that characterize each stage of mitosis.

2.14. Identify the reasons why meiosis leads to significant genetic variation while mitosis does not.

2.15. A diploid cell contains three pairs of homologous chromosomes designated C1 and C2, M1 and
M2, and S1 and S2; no crossing over occurs. What possible combinations of chromosomes will be
present in (a) daughter cells following mitosis? (b) the first meiotic metaphase? (c) haploid cells
following both divisions of meiosis?

2.29. Consider a diploid cell that contains 8 pairs of chromosomes. Each pair includes a maternal and a
paternal member (for example: Am Ap (one pair) or Am Ap Bm Bp (two pairs). How many different
combinations of chromatids are possible during the early phases of anaphase in meiosis II?

3.1. On the basis of the Mendelian postulates, probability, and pedigree analysis, what answers would
you propose to the following questions. (a) How was Mendel able to derive postulates concerning the
behavior of "unit factors" during gamete formation, when he could not directly observe them? (b)
How do we know whether an organism expressing a dominant trait is homozygous or heterozygous?
(c) In analyzing genetic data, what type of analyses can be conducted to determine whether deviation
from the expected ratio is due to chance rather than to another, independent factor? (d) Since
experimental crosses are not performed in humans, how do we know how traits are inherited?

3.5. Mendel's monohybrid results served as the basis for all but one of his postulates. (a) Which
postulate was not based on these results? (b) Why?

3.10. In a cross between a black and a white guinea pig, all members of the F1 generation are black.
The F2 generation is made up of approximately ¾ black and ¼ white guinea pigs.

(a) Label the genotypes of the parents (P1) and two offspring generations (F1 and F2). Labels can be
used once, more than once, or not at all.
 (b) What will be the phenotype of the offspring if two F2 white guinea pigs are mated?

(c) Two different matings were made between black members of the F2 generation with the
following results.

Label the genotypes of the parents and offspring in these two crosses. (Note that the offspring shown
represent ratios of a large number of offspring, not just four individuals.)
-Use blue labels for the parents’ genotypes.
-Use pink labels for the offsprings’ genotypes.
-Labels can be used once, more than once, or not at all.
3.14. Mendel crossed peas having green seeds with peas having yellow seeds. The F_1 generation
produced only yellow seeds. In the F_2, the progeny consisted of 6022 plants with yellow seeds and
2001 plants with green seeds. Of the F2 yellow-seeded plants, 519 were self-fertilized with the
following results: 166 bred true for yellow and 353 produced an F3 ratio of 3/4 yellow: 1/4 green.
(a). Which seeds color is dominant? (b). Explain the results by diagramming the crosses. (As yellow
seeds are dominant, set up the symbols G = yellow seeds, g = green seeds.)

3.27. Two true-breeding pea plants were crossed. One parent is round, terminal, violet, constricted,
while the other expresses the respective contrasting phenotypes of wrinkled, axial, white, full. The
four pairs of contrasting traits are controlled by four genes, each located on a separate chromosome.
In the F1 only round, axial, violet, and full were expressed. In the F2, all possible combinations of
these traits were expressed in ratios consistent with Mendelian inheritance.
(a) What conclusion about the inheritance of the traits can be drawn based on the F1 results? (b) In
the F2 results, which phenotype appeared most frequently? What mathematical expression predicts
the probability of occurrence of this phenotype? (c) Which F2 phenotype is expected to occur least
frequently? What mathematical expression predicts this probability? (d) In the F2 generation, how
often is either of the P1 phenotypes likely to occur? Express your answer as a fraction (example:
3/16). (e) If the F1 plants were testcrossed, how many different phenotypes would be produced?
Express your answer as a whole number (example: 4).

3.30. The wild-type (normal) fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has straight wings and long bristles.
Mutant strains have been isolated that have either curled wings or short bristles. The genes
representing these two mutant traits are located on separate chromosomes. Carefully examine the
data from the five crosses shown below (running across both columns).

(a) Identify each mutation as either dominant or recessive.

3.32. To assess Mendel’s law of segregation using tomatoes, a true-breeding tall variety (SS) is crossed
with a true-breeding short variety (ss). The heterozygous F1 tall plants (Ss) were crossed to produce
two sets of F2 data, as follows.
(a) What is the chi square value for Set I?
(b) Based on the chi square value for Set I, would you reject the null hypothesis?
(c) What is the chi square value for Set II?
(d) Based on the chi square value for Set II, would you reject the null hypothesis?
(e) What is your conclusion about the size of dataset?

Additional questions:

1. Normal mitosis takes place in a diploid cell of genotype A/a ; B/b. Which of the
following genotypes might represent possible daughter cells?
a. A ; B
b. a ; b
c. A ; b
d. a ; B
e. A/A ; B/B
f. A/a ; B/b
g. a/a ; b/b

2. In a diploid organism of 2n = 10, assume that you can label all the centromeres derived
from its female parent and all the centromeres derived from its male parent. When
this organism produces gametes, how many male- and female-labeled centromere
combinations are possible in the gametes?

3. When a cell of genotype A/a ; B/b ; C/c having all the genes on separate chromosome
pairs divides mitotically, what are the genotypes of the daughter cells?

4. Suppose that meiosis occurs in the transient diploid stage of the cycle of a haploid
organism of chromosome number n. What is the probability that an individual
haploid cell resulting from the meiotic division will have a complete parental set of
centromeres (that is, a set all from one parent or all from the other parent)?