Question

Normally, in corn, genes for waxy and virescent kernel appearance are in the same chromosome. In a certain stock, however, it was found that these two genes are in different chromosomes.
Which chromosomal aberration would explain this?

A) translocation
B) inversion
C) duplication
D) deletion

Answer 1

Answer:

Translocation

Explanation:

Changes occur to the nuclear material from time to time. These changes are referred to as MUTATIONS. A mutation is a change in the nucleotide sequence of a gene. Mutations are of different types depending on how it occurs.

According to this question, the kind of mutation/abberation described is TRANSLOCATION. Translocation is a kind of chromosomal abnormality in which one segement of a chromosome containing certain genes breaks off and reattaches to a different chromosome.

This is the case in this question regarding the genetic composition of corns where genes for waxy and virescent kernel appearance occur in the same chromosome. It was found out that, in a stock of corn, these two genes are now on different chromosomes. This means that a segment of the chromosome containing one of the genes broke off and got reattached to a different chromosome. Hence, TRANSLOCATION MUTATION has occurred in this stock of corn.