Question

Morgan breeds and sells snakes. He knows that he can make the most money by breeding and selling albino (totally white) snakes. Albinism is a recessive trait. His female albino corn snake just produced six offspring. Two displayed normal coloration and four were albino. What do you know about the genotype of the father?
a.0%
b. 25%
c. 50%
d. 75%

Answer 1

Answer:

Option C: 50%ZA and 50% Za.

Explanation:

The genotypes of snakes are governed by Genotypic System Determination that is similar to birds, with Z and W sex chromosomes. In this case, males are the homogametic sex (ZZ) and females are the heterogametic sex (ZW).

Since albinism is a recessive condition, it is expressed by having two copies of the recessive allele on the Z chromosomes for males and just one copy to be expressed in females. Since the female is albino, thus her genotype will be (ZaW) with a representing the albino trait.

For the two organisms to be able to produce both the normal colouration and the albino condition, the father has to be heterozygote for the trait (ZAZa): having 50%ZA and 50% Za.

Answer 2

Answer:

The correct option is d: 75%

Explanation:

The offspring are albinos because the father is a carrier of albinism. He must be heterozygous for this trait. He cannot be homozygous recessive because then all offspring would have been albinos. And he cannot be homozygous dominant either because then none of the offspring would have been an albino. Hence, the father himself has normal coat coloration but he is a carrier of the mutated gene for albinism.

Hope that answers the question, have a great day!