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.
What is the probability that they will have an offspring who is heterozygous? ____ out of _____.
To determine the probability of having an offspring that is heterozygous, we need to use the principles of Mendelian genetics. In this case, the dominant trait A is being awesome, while the recessive trait a is being average.
The male cat is homozygous dominant (AA) and the female cat is homozygous recessive (aa). When they mate, their offspring will inherit one allele from each parent, resulting in heterozygosity.
The possible combinations of alleles for the offspring are:
- Offspring 1: A from the male cat and a from the female cat (Aa)
- Offspring 2: A from the male cat and a from the female cat (Aa)
Both combinations result in offspring being heterozygous (Aa).
Therefore, the probability of having an offspring that is heterozygous is 2 out of 2.
Answer: 2 out of 2.