In Mendel's pea plants, purple flowers are dominant to white flowers, and a single gene controls this trait. What are the possible phenotype and genotypes for the trait of flower color? Use P to represent the dominant allele and p to represent the recessive allele. What phenotype would result from each genotype?
To determine the possible phenotypes and genotypes for the trait of flower color in Mendel's pea plants, we can use the symbols "P" to represent the dominant allele for purple flowers and "p" to represent the recessive allele for white flowers.
Since purple flowers are dominant, an individual can have either two dominant alleles (PP) or one dominant allele and one recessive allele (Pp) and still display the purple flower phenotype. Only individuals with two recessive alleles (pp) will display the white flower phenotype.
Therefore, the possible genotypes for flower color are:
- PP (homozygous dominant genotype)
- Pp (heterozygous genotype)
- pp (homozygous recessive genotype)
The corresponding phenotypes for each genotype are:
- PP: purple flowers
- Pp: purple flowers
- pp: white flowers
So, in summary:
- Individuals with the genotype PP will have the phenotype of purple flowers.
- Individuals with the genotype Pp will also have the phenotype of purple flowers.
- Individuals with the genotype pp will have the phenotype of white flowers.