Question

If you count 52 purple rough corn kernels and 50 yellow smooth corn kernels how many people smooth corn kernels should you expect to count? How many yellow rough corn kernels should you expect to count?

Answer 1

Answer:

17

Explanation:

In corn,

Smooth kernel (S) is dominant to rough kernel (s)

Purple kernel (P) is dominant to yellow kernel (p)

Since no information has been given about the cross here let us assume it to be a standard dihybrid cross.

The phenotypic ratio of dihybrid cross is 9:3:3:1. 9/16 will show dominant phenotype for both traits, 3/16 will show dominant phenotype for one trait, other 3/16 will show dominant phenotype for the second trait, 1/16 will have recessive phenotype for both the traits.

Here,

Purple rough (P_ss) = 52

Yellow smooth (ppS_) = 50

Both of them show dominant phenotype for one trait so they each form 3/16 of the progeny.

If the total progeny was z, 3/16*z = 50

z = (50*16)/3 = 267

Total progeny = 267 kernels

Yellow rough kernels (ppss) = (1/16*267) = 17

So approximately 17 corn kernels will be yellow and rough.