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Question 62 of 84

Q.Which phenomenon gives 2 : 1 ratio instead of 3 : 1 ratio? Describe with graphical representation. OR A pea plant homozygous for yellow round seed is crossed with its recessive parents. Calculate the phenotypic and genotypic ratio with the help of checker board.

Maharashtra MsbshseMaharashtra HSC (MSBSHSE) Board 2019Subjective· 5mImportance★★★★★
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A homozygous-lethal gene gives a 2:1 ratio instead of 3:1 — e.g.

A homozygous lethal allele skews 3:1 to 2:1. A YYRR x yyrr checkerboard gives an all-heterozygous F1.

The 2:1 ratio phenomenon: A 2:1 ratio in F2 (instead of the standard Mendelian 3:1) arises when one of the two homozygous genotypes is lethal and the affected individuals die before they can be counted among the surviving offspring — a case of a recessive-lethal or homozygous-lethal gene. The classic example is coat colour in mice: the allele for Yellow coat colour (Y) is dominant over agouti/grey (y) for the coat-colour trait itself, but the very same Y allele is recessive lethal when homozygous — YY embryos fail to survive to birth. When two yellow (heterozygous, Yy) mice are crossed, Mendelian expectation gives a genotypic ratio of 1 YY : 2 Yy : 1 yy. However, because all YY individuals die, only Yy (yellow, heterozygous) and yy (grey/agouti, homozygous recessive) offspring actually survive and can be observed, in the ratio 2 Yy (yellow) : 1 yy (grey) — i.e. a phenotypic ratio of 2 : 1 among the living offspring, instead of the usual 3 : 1. (This can be represented graphically as a bar/pie chart showing the expected 1:2:1 genotypic classes, with the YY portion marked as non-surviving, leaving only the 2:1 phenotypic outcome observed.) …

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