Question

A gene on a chromosome lies close to another gene controlling a different trait. This indicates that the genes are _. The first gene contributes to the expression of the second gene. This indicates _?

Answer 1

• One gene on one chromosome is next to another gene that controls a different characteristic. This indicates that genes are strongly linked.  When the genes are very close on the same chromosome, they are said to be linked. This means that the alleles, or the gene versions, put together in a chromosome will be more often inherited as a unit than separately.
• The first gene contributes to the expression of the second gene. This indicates non-epistatic gene interaction . We say that gene interaction is non-epistatic when two or more genes interact, but no allele prevents the expression of another, but the first gene contributes to the expression of the second gene.

Answer 2

My guess:

I do not know the options to the blanks, but I'd say that the answer to the first one is "strongly linked". Think of a chromosome as a phylogenic chart → 2 species that are beside each other are strongly linked, if compared to 2 species 3 spots apart form each other. So, 2 genes that are close to each other are strongly linked.

I do not know the options to the blanks, but I'd say the answer to the second one is epistasis → which is the interaction between two different genes (different means they're not linked alleles).

Hope it helped,

BioTeacher101