Geneticist Geri notices that a woman exhibits trait L. With certainty, she asks the woman, "Which of your parents also exhibits this trait?" The woman is surprised that Geri knew that one of her parents had to also display trait L. Knowing which fact would have cleared up the woman's confusion?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If trait L is governed by a dominant allele, then the woman only needs to inherit one copy of the allele in order to exhibit the trait. This means that if one of her parents has trait L, then she would have inherited the dominant allele from that parent and exhibit the trait as well. Therefore, Geri's question would make sense and the woman's confusion would be cleared up.

Geneticist Geri Notices That a Woman Exhibits Trait L