Kyra Silvanose

Ms. Sweaks

AP Biology Period 3

29 March 2018

Investigating Mendelian Genetics Using B. rapa CER

Claim: Independent assortment is not demonstrated in the F2 B. rapa seeds because the

null hypothesis is rejected due to the chi-square amount. The null hypothesis is that there is no

significant difference between the expected values of each phenotype and the actual observed

values of the phenotypes shown, meaning that the expected 9:3:3:1 ratio of purple and tall,

purple and dwarf, green and tall, and green and dwarf plants are similar to what was seen in the

plants themselves. However, the alternative hypothesis states that there is a significant difference

between the expected values of each phenotype and the actual observed values of the phenotypes

shown, and thus, the amount of purple/green and tall/dwarf plants from the lab do not fit the

9:3:3:1 ratio, because something has caused an issue in the plant growth. Evidence and

Statistical Analysis: The class data totals and the independent data totals are stated below in the

data table. The chi-square amount calculated was based on the class data. The chi-square value

ended up being 365.38. With the p value being 0.05 and the degrees of freedom (n-1) being 3,

the critical value ends up being 7.815. A null hypothesis is accepted if the chi-square value does

not exceed the critical value, however if the chi-square value does exceed the critical value, the

null hypothesis is rejected. Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected because the chi-square value

(365.38) is greater than the critical value (7.815).

 B. rapa Plant Dihybrid Cross (AaRr x AaRr)

(9:3:3:1) AR Ar aR ar

AR AARR AARr AaRR AaRr

Ar AARr AArr AaRr Aarr

aR AaRR AaRr aaRR aaRr

ar AaRr Aarr aaRr aarr

Investigating Mendelian Genetics Using B. rapa Data

Purple & Purple & Green & Green & Total Total Seeds
Tall Dwarf Tall Dwarf Seeds Germinated
Planted

Total Class 551 383 329 237 1721 1500

Data

Independent 4 1 13 5 25 23
Data
 Investigating Mendelian Genetics Using B. rapa Data

Phenotypes Observed Expected Observed - (Observed - (Observed -

Expected Expected)² Expected)²/
Expected

Purple & 551 843.75 -292.75 85702.56 101.57

Tall

Purple & 383 281.25 101.75 10353.06 36.81

Dwarf

Green & 329 281.25 47.75 2280.06 8.11

Tall

Green & 237 93.75 143.25 20520.56 218.89

Dwarf

Total 1500 1500 365.38

Reasoning: Independent assortment, one of the laws of genetics, is the formation of many

random and unique combinations of chromosomes or traits during Metaphase 1, in which these

chromosomes or traits group together independently. In Metaphase 1 of meiosis each

chromosome can line up in the middle in different combinations that are random and separate

from other chromosomes’ distributions. Independent assortment creates distinctiveness and

variance. In this specific experiment, independent assortment did not occur, which is represented

by the null hypothesis being rejected. The null hypothesis states that there is no statistical

difference between the observed and expected values, while the alternative hypothesis states

there is a statistical difference between the observed and expected values. The null hypothesis is

rejected because the chi-square value of 365.38 substantially exceeds the critical value of 7.815.

Independent assortment occurs in a normal dihybrid cross, which is a cross of genes including

two different traits, between heterozygous alleles, however with this particular data, the rejection
of the null hypothesis depicts that independent assortment did not occur in the 9:3:3:1 ratio. This

means that the data of the observed values of each phenotype does not fit the expected values

when doing a dihybrid cross and that there was a statistical difference between the two. Since the

null was rejected with this data, the lab does not show independent assortment because the data

is not proportional to the expected ratio. Be that as it may, a dihybrid cross of heterozygotes

should usually portray independent assortment if there are no issues because there will be

random distribution, yet the numbers of each phenotype will still be similar to the known ratio.

One reason for this unexpected data is that out of 1721 seeds planted, only 1500 germinated, so

we have no way of knowing which type of phenotype would be shown on the non-germinated

seeds. Another reason for this error, could be that some classes had to count each phenotype over

pictures and could have made mistakes that would have affected the entire class data. In

conclusion, most dihybrid heterozygous crosses show independent assortment, or that multiple

traits or chromosomes can separate independently of others, but these specific data numbers did

not show independent assortment because the null hypothesis was rejected and the observed data

was very different from the expected values with the 9:3:3:1 ratio.