If a Drosophila female has a homozygous mutation for a maternal effect gene,
A) she will not develop past the early embryonic stage.
B) all of her offspring will show the mutant phenotype, regardless of their genotype.
C) only her male offspring will show the mutant phenotype.
D) her offspring will show the mutant phenotype only if they are also homozygous for the mutation.
E) only her female offspring will show the mutant phenotype.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A maternal effect gene impacts the phenotype of offspring according to the genotype of the mother, rather than the offspring. A homozygous mutation in a maternal effect gene means that all of the eggs produced by the female will have the defective gene. Thus, all of her offspring will show the mutant phenotype, regardless of their own genotype.

If a Drosophila Female Has a Homozygous Mutation for a Maternal