In a test cross, what is the purpose of crossing an individual with a homozygous
Practice Questions
Q1
In a test cross, what is the purpose of crossing an individual with a homozygous recessive?
To determine the dominant allele
To identify the genotype of the individual
To produce offspring
To analyze gene expression
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In a test cross, what is the purpose of crossing an individual with a homozygous recessive?
Correct Answer: To determine the genotype of the individual.
Step 1: Understand what a test cross is. A test cross is a way to find out the genetic makeup (genotype) of an individual with an unknown genotype.
Step 2: Know what homozygous recessive means. A homozygous recessive individual has two copies of the recessive allele (e.g., 'aa').
Step 3: Cross the individual with the homozygous recessive individual. This means you breed the unknown individual with the homozygous recessive individual.
Step 4: Observe the offspring. The traits of the offspring will show you the genotype of the unknown individual.
Step 5: Analyze the results. If all offspring show the dominant trait, the unknown individual is likely homozygous dominant (e.g., 'AA'). If some offspring show the recessive trait, the unknown individual is likely heterozygous (e.g., 'Aa').
