GENETICS PROBLEMS

Introduction:
One of the facts of life involves the different types of offspring that can be produced as a
result of sexual reproduction. Offspring may have traits of one parent, both parents or
neither parent. This depends upon the genes the offspring receive from the parents. The
types of traits possible in an offspring have long been of interest to mankind. Gregor
Mendel, the Austrian monk who is the father of modern genetics, was interested in the
inheritance of garden pea plants. In general, people can be interested in genetics for a
variety of reasons: a new baby due in the family or the need to breed for certain
characteristics in cows. In either case, they want to know the probability of having a
given type of offspring.
In order to determine the probable appearance of an offspring, we must first know
something about the parents. What do they look like? What genes do they possess?
The phenotype is what an individual looks like (i.e. a tall male with attached ear lobes).
The genotype is the genes an individual has (the two genes for tallness and the two genes
for attached ear lobes). We must know what possible genes can be found in the gametes
of each parent and the possible ways these genes may combine during fertilization.
Another important factor in genetics is the influence of chance on the inheritance of
traits. Chance alone determines which genes will be passed from each parent to their
offspring. The influence of chance is explained by Mendel's Laws: the Law of
Segregation and the Law of Independent Assortment.
The Law of Segregation states that when gametes are formed, the two alleles for each
gene separate from one another and each gamete receives one allele. In other words, there
is equal chance of receiving either allele.
The Law of Independent Assortment states that traits located on different chromosomes
will be inherited independently of each other. In other words, one trait has no influence
on how another trait will be inherited, it is a chance occurrence.
In today's lab, your goal will be to understand how chance influences inheritance and to
learn how to solve genetics problems. First, here are some terms for easy reference:
Phenotype - The physical appearance of an organism.
Genotype - The genes of an organism.
Allele - One of two or more forms of the same gene.
Locus - A specific location on a chromosome where a gene is found.
Heterozygote - An organism having two different alleles for a trait.
Homozygote - An organism having two of the same alleles for a trait.
Homologous Chromosomes - Chromosomes having genes for the same kinds
of characteristics that pair during meiosis.
52010

Genetics Problems Lab

17-1

Name___________________________

Exercise #1 Applying the Laws of Chance to

Genetics Report Sheets
The science of genetics uses chance to explain how traits are inherited. Chance happens
whenever you toss a coin. There is a 50:50 chance or 1 chance out of 2 that the coin will
land as "heads" or as "tails". This same principle operates in genetics since most traits
will be either present or absent. The laws of chance can help you determine
approximately how many times a result is expected to occur. In this activity, you will
compare the results you expect from a monohybrid cross to the actual results of a
monohybrid cross.
1. Complete the Punnett square of the monohybrid cross Ss x Ss to show how often each
genotype is expected to appear in four offspring.
Punnett Square
S

S
s

2. In the monohybrid cross diagrammed by the Punnett square, how many offspring
with the genotype (SS) are expected? What percentage of the possible genotypes is
this?

3. How many offspring with the genotype (ss) are expected? What percentage of the
possible genotypes is this?

4. How many offspring with the genotype (Ss) are expected? What percentage of the
possible genotypes is this?

52010

Genetics Problems Lab

17-2

Materials Needed:
Two small paper cups or other opaque container
Two shiny pennies
Two dull pennies

Procedure & Discussion:

Check to see if your expected results are the same as the actual results of a monohybrid
cross.
5. Place one shiny and one dull penny in each container. One container represents the
female gametes that have undergone meiosis and the other container represents the
male gametes that have undergone meiosis.
What are the four possible combinations of these gametes when they recombine
during fertilization?

Which two combinations are the same and therefore will be more likely to appear?

6. Fill out the blanks below by picking, without looking, one penny representing a
gamete out of each container. Check off the genotype produced by the combination of
the two gametes. Return the pennies to their original containers and repeat this step
for a total of 40 tries.
Monohybrid Cross:
SS

Ss or sS

_______________

_______________

ss
_______________

7. Calculate the percentage of each genotype by adding the totals for each genotype and
dividing each total by 40.

52010

Genetics Problems Lab

17-3

8. What factor determines whether a shiny or dull coin is picked?

9. How does your percentage of each genotype compare to the percentage of genotypes
expected based on the Punnett square?

10. How can you explain the fact that your percentages are not exactly the same as the
expected percentages based on the Punnett square?

11. What basic principle of Mendel's genetics is illustrated in this activity?

52010

Genetics Problems Lab

17-4

Name___________________________

Exercise #2 Solving Genetics Problems Report Sheets

In this activity, the class will be divided into groups. Each group will be assigned a set of
problems to solve. It may help to solve the problems using the following guidelines:
1. Assign letters (alleles) to the various characteristics.
2. Determine the phenotype and genotype of each parent and indicate a mating.
3. Determine all the possible kinds of gametes each parent can produce.
4. Determine all the possible allele combinations that can result when these gametes
combine to form the offspring, Punnett square.
5. Determine the phenotype of each allele combination, genotype, in the offspring.

Genetics Problems:
1. For each of the following genotypes, give all possible gametes. A gamete would be
haploid for each trait (a single letter like G or t) while the genotype of an individual
will be diploid (two letters like Gg or tt).
a.
b.
c.
d.

BB
Bb
Tt
TT

2. For each of the following, state whether a genotype or a gamete is represented.

a.
b.
c.
d.

D
GG
P
ee

3. For each of the following genotypes, give all possible gametes. Dihybrids will have
letters representing alleles of two or more genes so will have two or more different
letters. Gametes would still be haploid for each trait (gT for example) while
genotypes of individuals are diploid for each trait (GGTt for example).
a.
b.
c.
d.

52010

ttGG
TtGG
TtGg
TTGg

Genetics Problems Lab

17-5

4. For each of the following, state whether a genotype or a gamete is represented.

a.
TT
b.
Tg
c.
IiCC
d.
TW
5. In rabbits, B is the dominant black allele and b is the recessive white allele, which of
these genotypes could a white rabbit have?
a.
b.
c.
d.

Bb
BB
bb
WW

6. Lets say in humans, six fingers (F) is the dominant trait and five fingers (f) is the
recessive trait. Both parents are heterozygous and have six fingers.
What is the phenotype of the father and the mother? What is the genotype of each
parent? What is the probability of them having a child with six fingers?
A child with five fingers?
a.

Father's phenotype _______________

Mother's phenotype ______________

b.

Father's genotype ________________

Mother's genotype ________________

c.

Father's gametes _______________ or __________________

d.

Mother's gametes _______________ or _________________

e.

Probability of a child with six fingers __________________

f.

Probability of a child with five fingers _________________

7. If a father is heterozygous for six fingers and the mother has five fingers, what is the
probability of having these characteristics in their offspring?
Six Fingers ____________

Five Fingers ____________

What is the expected phenotype ratio of their offspring?

52010

Genetics Problems Lab

17-6

8. In peas, yellow color (Y) is dominant to green color (y).

a.

A heterozygous yellow is crossed with a green.

What is the expected phenotype ratio of the offspring?

b.

A heterozygous yellow is crossed with a heterozygous yellow.

What is the expected phenotype ratio of the offspring?

9. White color (W) is dominant to yellow color (w) in squash.

A heterozygous white fruit plant is crossed with a yellow fruit plant.
What is the expected phenotype ratio of the offspring?

52010

Genetics Problems Lab

17-7

10. Two flies with long wings were mated and the offspring included 77 with long wings
and 24 with short wings.
What is the phenotype ratio of the offspring?

a.

Is the short winged condition dominant or recessive?

b.

What are the genotypes of the parents?

11. A man with attached earlobes marries a woman with unattached ear lobes, whose
father had attached ear lobes.
Unattached earlobes (U) is dominant over attached earlobes (u). What are the
genotypes of all individuals mentioned?
a.

Man with attached ear lobes: _______ _______

b.

Woman with unattached ear lobes: _______ _______

c.

Father: _______ _______

12. In certain flowers, color is inherited by genes that have incomplete dominance. In
such flowers, a cross between homozygous red and a homozygous white will always
result in a pink flower. A cross is made between two pink flowers.
What is the predicted phenotype ratio of the colors red, pink and white appearing in
the offspring?

52010

Genetics Problems Lab

17-8

13. In humans, the condition for normal blood clotting dominates the condition for
non-clotting or hemophilia. Both alleles are linked to the X chromosome. A male
hemophiliac marries a woman who is a carrier for this condition. In this respect,
a carrier is a woman who has an allele for normal blood clotting and an allele for
hemophilia. What are the chances that if they have a male child he will be normal
for blood clotting?

14. For this problem use the information given in problem 13. A male who has normal
blood clotting marries a woman who is a carrier for this condition. What are the
chances that if they have a male child he will be normal for blood clotting?

15. In humans, the allele for A type blood and the allele for B type blood show
codominance. A person with both alleles has blood type AB. Both A and B
dominate type O.
A person with an allele for type A blood and type O blood marries someone with an
allele for type B blood and type O blood. List the types of offspring they could have
and the probability for each blood type in the offspring.
(A allele = IA, B allele = IB, O allele = i)

52010

Genetics Problems Lab

17-9

16. For this problem use the information given in problem 15. A young lady with type O
blood gave birth to a baby with type O blood. In a court case she claims that a certain
young man is the father of her child. The man has type A blood. Could he be the
father? Can it be proven on this evidence alone that he is the father?

17. In horses, black color (B) dominates chestnut color (b). The trotting gait (T)
dominates the pacing gait (t). A cross is made between a horse homozygous for black
color and the pacing gait and a horse homozygous for chestnut color and
the trotting gait. List the probable genotype and phenotype of offspring resulting from
such a cross.

52010

Genetics Problems Lab

17-10

18. For this problem use the information in problem 17. A cross is made between two
horses, both of who are heterozygous black trotters.
a.

Give the genotype of each parent horse.

____________

b.

____________

Determine all the possible kinds of gametes each parent can produce.
_______

_______

_______

_______

_______

_______

_______

_______

c.

Construct a Punnett square and show all the possible gene combinations
that result.

d.

What is the expected phenotype ratio of the offspring?

52010

Genetics Problems Lab

17-11

19. Skin color in humans becomes darker by the number of dominant alleles; AABBCC
have the darkest skin and aabbcc have the lightest skin. Place these genotypes in
sequence according to the color of skin expected for each. Place the darkest skin first.
Genotypes: AaBbCc, AAbbcc, aabbCc, AaBBCc and AaBBCC.
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
You may need to refer back to previous problems to get some background
information to solve the following problems.
20. In humans, A = normal amount of melanin produced and a = no melanin produced.
If B = brown eyes and b = blue eyes, which of the genotypes below would have
brown eyes? blue eyes? albino?
a.
b.
c.
d.

BBAA
Bbaa
bbAa
BbAa

__________
__________
__________
__________

21. A cross is made between parents with genotypes AABB and aabb. If there were
sixteen offspring, how many of them would be expected to exhibit both dominant
characteristics?
a.
b.
c.
d.

25%.
50%.
75%.
100%.

22. When two plants are crossed and three quarters of the offspring are tall. Which of the
following describes the cross of the parents?
a.
b.
c.
d.
52010

TT x tt.
Ty x Ty.
Tt x Tt.
TT x TT.
Genetics Problems Lab

17-12

23. What would a green pea plant crossed with another of the same type produce?
a.
b.
c.
d.

3/4 yellow, 1/4 green peas.

1/2 yellow, 1/2 green peas.
100% green peas.
100% yellow peas.

24. Two parents produce children, three quarters of whom have unattached earlobes.
Which of the following describes the genotype of the parents?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Hybrids.
Homozygous Dominant.
Homozygous Recessive.
Heterozygous.
Both a and d.

25. Which of the following could produce a child with attached earlobes?
a.
b.
c.
d.

UU X uu.
Uu X Uu.
uu X Uu.
Both b and c.

26. In guinea pigs, B = black, b = brown, S = short hair and s = long hair. A homozygous
black, heterozygous short hair is mated to a homozygous brown, heterozygous short
hair. Which of the following describes the probability of offspring?
a.
b.
c.
d.

Three black short hair, one black long hair.

One black short hair, one black long hair.
All black short hair.
All of the above.

27. Which of the following offspring phenotypes could a homozygous black,

homozygous short hair guinea pig produce?
a.
b.
c.
d.

52010

Brown long hair guinea pig.

Black long hair guinea pig.
Black short hair guinea pig.
Brown short hair guinea pig.

Genetics Problems Lab

17-13

28. In horses, T = trotter, t = pacer, B = black and b = chestnut. If a heterozygous

dihybrid in both traits is mated with a chestnut pacer, which of the following
describes the probability of offspring phenotypes?
a.
b.
c.
d.

One black trotter, one chestnut pacer.

Three black trotters, one chestnut pacer.
All black trotters.
One black trotter, one chestnut pacer, one black pacer, one chestnut trotter.

29. Which children could not occur if two parents were type A blood?
a.
b.
c.
d.

Type A.
Type O.
Type AB.
Both b and c.

30. Which children could not have a parent who is type AB?
a.
b.
c.
d.

52010

Type A.
Type B.
Type AB.
Type O.

Genetics Problems Lab

17-14