A scientist is studying a plant species in which the flower color genes are codominant. The scientist crosses a plant with red flowers and a plant with white flowers. The offspring will most likely have


A.red flowers
B.white flowers
C.pink flowers
D.red flowers with white patches

The answer is d

To determine the most likely outcome of the offspring, we need to understand how codominant genes work.

In codominant inheritance, both gene variants (alleles) are expressed equally, without one being dominant over the other. In this case, the red flower allele and the white flower allele are codominant.

When the scientist crosses a plant with red flowers (genotype RR) with a plant with white flowers (genotype WW), the possible genotypes of the offspring are RW. Each offspring inherits one allele from each parent.

Since the red and white alleles are codominant, the offspring will exhibit a blend of both colors. Therefore, the most likely outcome is that the offspring will have pink flowers (option C).

It's important to note that genetic inheritance can be more complex, and other factors may also influence the flower color. However, based solely on the information provided, pink flowers are the most likely outcome.