Question

In the interactive activity, what are the possible phenotypes for fur color and what gene represents each?

Answer 1

Answer:

Fur colour can be represented by both the dominant and the recessive alleles of the gene encoding the fur color.

Explanation:

• Considering that the fur colour trait follows Mendelian laws of inheritance.

1. The dominant allele can express itself in both the homozygous and heterozygous condition.
2. The recessive allele can represent itself only in the homozygous condition.
3. Therefore, there will be two phenotypes, one will be represented by both the homozygous dominant and heterozygous dominant genotypes and the other represented by the homozygous recessive genotype.

• Considering that the fur colour trait does not follows Mendelian laws of inheritance (Incomplete Dominance or Codominance).

1. In Incomplete dominance, three phenotypes are observed, for each of homozygous dominant, heterozygous dominant and homozygous recessive genotypes respectively.
2. In Codominance,  phenotypes of both the dominant and recessive genotype is shown in the same individual.