BIO152-1L – FUNDAMENTALS OF GENETICS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

Exercise 2

Principle of Gene Segregation and Independent Assortment

Mendel stated that each individual has two factors (now called genes) for
each trait, one from each parent. The two factors may or may not contain the same
information. If the two factors are identical, the individual is called homozygous for
the trait. If the two factors have different information, the individual is called
heterozygous.
The alternative forms of a factor are called alleles. The genotype of an
individual is made up of the many alleles it possesses. Physical appearance, or
phenotype, is determined by its alleles as well as by its environment. An individual
possesses two alleles for each trait; one allele is given by the female parent and the
other by the male parent. They are passed on when an individual matures and
produces gametes.

The Law of Gene Segregation

The Law of Segregation states that during gamete formation, each member of the
allelic pair separates from the other member to form genetic constitution of the
gamete. It means that a gamete will receive one allele or the other.
During fertilization, the gamete of one parent fuses with that of the other parent.
Fusion brings the genes from each parent together, giving rise to a new offspring
with paired genes. The physical basis for this principle is in anaphase of Meiosis I
where homologous chromosomes segregate or separate from each other.

The Law of Independent Assortment

The Law of Independent Assortment states that alleles of different genes assort
independently of one another during gamete formation. This is true only for loci on
non-homologous chromosomes.
Mendel concluded that different traits are inherited independently of each other, so
that there is no relation, for example, between a cat's color and tail length.
In independent assortment the chromosomes that end up in a newly-formed
gamete are randomly sorted from all possible combinations of maternal and
paternal chromosomes. Because gametes end up with a random mix instead of a
pre-defined "set" from either parent, gametes are therefore considered assorted
independently. As such, the gamete can end up with any combination of paternal or
maternal chromosomes. Any of the possible combinations of gametes formed from
maternal and paternal chromosomes will occur with equal frequency. For human
gametes, with 23 pairs of chromosomes, the number of possibilities is 2 23 or
8,388,608 possible combinations
Independent assortment occurs during metaphase I of meiosis in eukaryotic
organisms to produce a gamete with a mixture of the organism's maternal and

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 BIO152-1L – FUNDAMENTALS OF GENETICS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

paternal chromosomes. Along with chromosomal crossover, this process aids in

increasing genetic diversity by producing novel genetic combinations.

Objectives:
1. Relate chromosomal segregation with Mendelian principles.
2. Solve problems involving monohybrid, dihybrid and trihybrid crosses
illustrating Mendelian principles.
3. Derive genotypes based on observed phenotype segregation ratios.

References:

Asencion, A. S., Elementary Genetics. Dept. of Biology, CAS, UP Manila, 1998.

Starr and Taggart, Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life, 2004.

Susan, E. and Stansfield, W., Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems in Genetic,
2002.

Note: These worksheets are for laboratory exercises only and are neither for sale
nor for reprint or redistribution to other schools or institutions.

Name: _____________________________ Date: ____________________

Program/Yr: _________________________ Group No.: ________________

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 BIO152-1L – FUNDAMENTALS OF GENETICS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

EXERCISE 2:

Principles of Gene Segregation and Independent Assortment

Answer the following:

1. Suppose pure line lima bean plants having green pods were crossed with
pure line bean plants having yellow pods. If all the F 1 plants had green pods
and were allowed to interbreed, 580 F2 plants, 435 with green pods and 145
with yellow pods were obtained.
a. Which characteristic is dominant and which is recessive? (2pts)

___________________________________________________________

b. Of the F2 plants, how many are homozygous recessive, homozygous

dominant and heterozygous? (3pts)

___________________________________________________________

c. Draw out a plan showing the segregation of genes from the parents to F 2
plants. Use symbols to represent the dominant and recessive genes.
(2pts)

2. If two fruitflies, heterozygous for genes of one allelic pair, were bred together
and had 200 offspring: (4pts)
a. About how many would have the dominant phenotype? ______________
b. Of these offspring, some will be homozygous dominant and some
heterozygous. How is it possible to establish which is which?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3. Short hair is due to a dominant gene (L) in rabbits, and long hair to its
recessive allele, (l). A cross between a short-haired female and a long-haired
male produced a litter of 1 long haired and 7 short haired bunnies. (5pts)

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a. What are the genotypes of the parents? __________________________

b. What phenotypic ratio was expected in the offspring gene-ration?

__________________________________________________________
c. How many of the eight bunnies were expected to be long-haired?

__________________________________________________________

4. A dominant gene (W) produces wire-haired texture in dogs. Its recessive

allele (w) produces smooth hair. A group of heterozygous wire-haired
individuals are crossed and their F1 progeny are then test-crossed. Determine
the expected genotypic and phenotypic ratios among the test-cross progeny.
(4pts)

_____________________________________________________________

5. In summer squash, white fruit color is governed by a dominant allele (W)

and yellow fruit color by the recessive (w). A dominant allele at another locus
(S) produces disc-shaped fruit while its recessive allele (s) yields sphere-
shaped fruit. If a homozygous white disc variety of genotype (WWSS) is
crossed with (wwss), the F1 are all white disc dihybrids of genotype WwSs.

a. If the F1 is allowed to mate at random, what would be the phenotypic

ratio expected in the F2 generation? Show complete solution. (Use the
fork-lined or dichotomous branching method of getting progenies of a
given cross involving several gene pairs.) (5pts)

6. List all the different gametes produced by the following individuals:

a. AABBCc (3pts)

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b. aaBbCc (3pts)

c. AaBbccDd (3pts)

d. AABbCcddEeFf (6pts)

7. Short hair in rabbits is governed by a dominant gene (L) and long hair by its
recessive allele (l). Black hair results from the action of the dominant
genotype (BB) and brown from the recessive genotype (bb).
a. In crosses between dihybrid short, black and homozygous short, brown
rabbits, what genotypic and phenotypic ratios are expected among their
progeny? Show your solution. (4pts)

b. Determine the expected genotypic and phenotypic ratios in progeny from

the cross LlBb X Llbb. (4pts)

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8. In rabbits, black fur is dependent on a dominant gene (B) and brown on the
recessive allele (b). Normal length fur is determined by a dominant allele (S)
and short by the recessive gene (s). Give the probable genotypes of the
parents in the following crosses: (6pts)

Phenotype Black, Black, Brown, Brown,

Normal Short Norma short
l
Black, Normal X Brown, Normal 14 4 16 5
Black, short X Brown, Normal 19 0 0 0
Brown, Normal X Brown, Normal 0 0 32 12

9. In pea plants, tall plants (T) are dominant to dwarf plants (t), yellow color
(Y) is dominant to green (y), and smooth seeds (S) are dominant to wrinkled
seeds (s). What would be the phenotypes of the following matings?

a. TtYySs x ttyyss (3pts)

b. TtYYSs x ttYySs (3pts)

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