A common trait found in orange tabby cats is the following: being awesome (A) is dominant to being average (a).
A male cat that is homozygous dominant for the A trait is mated with a female cat that is homozygous recessive.
For a cross with four offspring, what is the probability that they will have an offspring who is heterozygous?
To predict the probability of producing an offspring that is heterozygous, we need to analyze the genotypes of both parents.
The male cat is homozygous dominant for the A trait. This means its genotype is AA.
The female cat is homozygous recessive. This means her genotype is aa.
When crossed, their offspring will receive one allele from each parent. The possible combinations are:
- AA from the male and a from the female
- Aa from the male and a from the female
- AA from the male and a from the female
- Aa from the male and a from the female
There are two combinations that result in heterozygous offspring (Aa). Therefore, the probability of producing an offspring that is heterozygous is 2 out of 4, which can be simplified to 1 out of 2, or 0.5.