Figure 10.4
-A certain (hypothetical) organism is diploid, has either blue or orange wings as the consequence of one of its genes on chromosome 12, and has either long or short antennae as the result of a second gene on chromosome 19, as shown in Figure 10.4. A female with a paternal set of one orange and one long gene chromosome and a maternal set composed of one blue and one short gene chromosome is expected to produce which of the following types of eggs after meiosis?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In meiosis, each chromosome segregates independently of the other chromosomes, and the two members of a gene pair segregate into different haploid cells. This is known as the law of independent assortment. The female described in the question has one orange and one long chromosome from her father and one blue and one short chromosome from her mother. During meiosis, these chromosomes will segregate randomly into haploid gametes, resulting in four possible combinations: blue long, blue short, orange long, and orange short. Since each combination has an equal chance of being produced, each egg has a one-fourth chance of having any of the four possible combinations. Therefore, the correct answer is C.

Figure 10.4 -A Certain (Hypothetical) Organism Is Diploid, Has Either Blue or Blue