CornGeneticsH

IntegratedScience

Cornsilks(hairs)areactuallythefemaleflowerstigmas. Atthetopofthecornplantarethe
maleflowersthatproducethepollen(sperm).Thepollentransferstothestigmas(pollenization)
andgrowatubedownintotheovarytofertilizetheovules(eggs). Corncobsareactuallyan
aggregate ofmanyseparateflowers eachthatleads tothedevelopment ofafruitorcorn
kernel. Each kernel is the result of a separate pollen and ovule and thus inherits its color
independentlyofotherkernels.Asinglecobisanoffspringpopulationofseedsthatallowsusto
determinetheparentalgenotype.Purple(P)kernelsaredominanttoyellow(p).

Purpose:Whatisthegenotypeoftheparentsforeachcorncob?

Procedure:

1. Recordsomeinitialobservationsofthecolordistributionofyourcob.Hypothesizethe
parentsgenotypesbasedonyourinitialobservations.

2. Recordthephenotypesofeachkernelonthecobwithatally.Placeapieceoftapeora
rubberbandonarowofkernelstokeepyourplace.

3. Totalyourtallydataandconvertintoapercentandthenaratio.(Ratio:Dividethebigger
numberbythesmallernumber.Smallestnumberisthenequalto1)

4. Repeatwithasecondcob.

5. DiagramtwoPunnettsquarestoexplainthepercentages/ratiosthatyouseeinthedata.

CornCobA

CornCobB
CornGenetics
FollowupQuestions

1. Whatarethepossiblegenotypesforayellowkernel?

2. Whatarethepossiblegenotypesforapurplekernel?

3. WhatmusthavebeentheparentgenotypesforcobAandcobB?

4. Whatarethegenotypesofthepurplekernels(offspring)incobB?

5. Predictthepercentagesforeachgenotypeabove.

6. Howcantheparentsgenotypesbedeterminedbyanalysisoftheoffspringphenotypes?

7. Ifyouweretogrowapurpleseedyouareunsureofthegenotypeoftheplantthatwould
growfromit.(thereare2possiblegenotypesforpurple).Youcouldperformatestcross
tofindoutwhichgenotypeithas.Usingyourtextbook,whatisatestcross?

8. Toperformatestcrossforyourpurpleseedplantintheproblemabove,whatparent
shouldyoucrossitwithtoperformatestcross?(Whatistheotherparentsgenotypeand
phenotype?)