A2 Biology Genetics questions

Name……………………………………………………………

1. Coat colour in rabbits is determined by a single gene which has four separate alleles. The gene
is not sex linked.
A
• The allele for agouti colour, C , is dominant to all the other alleles.
a
• The allele for albino, C , is recessive to all the other alleles.
Ch H
• The allele for chinchilla, C , is dominant to the Himalayan allele, C .

State all the possible genotypes for the following phenotypes:

chinchilla ..................................................................................................................

agouti .......................................................................................................................
[Total 2 marks]

2. (a) Explain the meaning of the terms linkage and crossing over.

linkage ............................................................................................................

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crossing over ..................................................................................................

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[3]

(b) In an investigation into the genes on chromosome 2 of the tomato genome, pollen from a
pure-bred plant with green leaves and smooth-surfaced fruit was transferred to flowers of
a plant with mottled green and yellow leaves and hairy (so-called ‘peach’) fruit. All the F1
generation had green leaves and smooth fruit.

Describe briefly how a plant breeder ensures that the offspring produced are only from
the desired cross.

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[3]

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 (c) Four different test crosses, A to D, were then made between F1 plants and pure-bred
plants with mottled leaves and ‘peach’ fruit. The phenotypes of 50 offspring of each of the
crosses were recorded and are shown in the table below.

phenotypes of offspring of test crosses

cross green leaves and green leaves and mottled leaves mottled leaves
smooth fruit ‘peach’ fruit and smooth fruit and ‘peach’ fruit
A 23 4 3 20
B 21 3 3 23
C 16 4 5 25
D 22 6 4 18
total 82 17 15 86

(i) Suggest one reason why, in the table above, the numbers of plants with green
leaves and smooth fruit is not the same in each of the crosses
A to D.

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................................................................................................................

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[1]

(ii) The percentage cross over value is calculated as

number of recombinant offspring

 100
total number of offspring

Using the information in the table above, calculate the percentage cross over value
between the loci for leaf colour and fruit surface texture. Show your working.

Answer = ..................................................... %
[2]

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 (iii) Use annotated diagrams of tomato chromosome 2 to explain the results of the test
crosses shown in the table.

Use the symbols A/a for the leaf colour alleles and B/b for the fruit surface texture
alleles.
[6]
[Total: 15 marks]

3. The human ABO blood groups are A, B, AB and O. They are determined by a single gene with
A B O
multiple alleles. I and I alleles are codominant, but both these alleles are dominant to the I
allele.

In a maternity ward, the identities of four babies became accidentally mixed up. The ABO blood
groups of the babies were discovered to be O, A, B and AB. The ABO blood groups of the four
sets of parents were determined and are shown in the table below.

Complete the table to match each baby to its parents by indicating:

A B O
• the parental genotypes, using the symbols I , I and I ;

• the blood group of the baby which belongs to each set of parents.

parental blood groups parental genotypes baby blood group

O and O

AB and O

A and O

AB and A

[Total 4 marks]

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4. Haemophilia A is a sex-linked genetic disease which results in the blood failing to clot properly.
It is caused by a recessive allele on the X chromosome. The figure below shows the occurrence
of haemophilia in one family.

= m a le = f e m a le = m a le h a e m o p h ilia c

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12

(i) Using the following symbols:

H = dominant allele h = recessive allele

state the genotypes of the following individuals. The first one has been completed for you.

individual genotype
H h
1 X X

2 …………

5 …………

6 …………

9 …………
[4]

(ii) State the probability of individual 8 being a carrier of haemophilia.

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[1]

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 (iii) Explain why only females can be carriers of haemophilia.

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[2]
[Total 7 marks]

5. (a) Explain what is meant by heritability.

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[2]

(b) Rice plants may have, in addition to a main stem, a number of side shoots (tillers) growing
from ground level. These tillers may also branch. The ability to grow tillers is controlled by
a single gene with two alleles, T/t. Plants with the genotype tt have a single grain-bearing
stem and no tillers.

Explain why the heritability of rice tiller growth is likely to be high.

.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................

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[2]

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 (c) Allele T codes for a protein which regulates transcription. Expression of allele T allows
stimulation of mitosis in the buds which become tillers.

Allele t has a ‘stop’ triplet within its DNA sequence as well as at its end.

(i) State what is meant by a ‘stop’ triplet.

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[2]

(ii) Describe the effect of the ‘stop’ triplet within the DNA sequence of allele t.

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[3]

(iii) Suggest how the protein encoded by allele T may regulate transcription.

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[2]

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 (d) The number of tillers per plant and the number of times each tiller branched were
recorded for wild type TT plants and for tt plants which had been given a copy of allele T
by genetic engineering.

The results are shown below.

key: w ild t y p e T T p la n ts
g e n e tic a lly m o d if ie d
t t + T p la n t s
30

num ber of
20
tille r s
p e r p la n t

10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5
n u m b e r o f b r a n c h e s p e r t ille r

(i) With reference to the figure above, compare the effect of the two rice genotypes on
tiller growth.

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[2]

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 (ii) Suggest why the expression of allele T may be changed when it is transferred by
genetic engineering into rice plants with the genotype tt.

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[2]
[Total 15 marks]

6. (a) Cats with either black or white fur are common in Britain; brown fur is rarer. The dominant
allele, B, of one gene gives black fur and the recessive allele, b, brown fur.

Many of the white cats carry a dominant allele, A, of a second gene which inhibits
pigment production no matter which pigment-producing alleles are present in the
genotype. The recessive allele, a, has no effect on fur colour.

Genes A/a and B/b are not linked and neither is on the X chromosome.

(i) State the fur colour of cats with the following genotypes:

AaBB ...................................................................................................

aaBB ....................................................................................................

Aabb .....................................................................................................

aabb ......................................................................................................
[4]

(ii) State the name given to this type of gene interaction.

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[1]

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 (iii) Suggest how one gene may inhibit the action of another.

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[3]

(b) Two white cats produced a litter of kittens with three different coat colours: white, black
and brown.

(i) State one possible genotype for each of the two white parents and explain the
reasons for your choice.

You may use the space below for rough work, if needed.

genotypes of parents ............................................................................

explanation ............................................................................................

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[5]

(ii) State the ratio of phenotypes this pair of cats would be expected to produce in time,
when the fur colour of several litters of kittens could be recorded.

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[2]
[Total 15 marks]

7. (a) The colour of the spines on the stems of raspberry plants are controlled by two genes,
A/a and B/b. The genes are on different pairs of chromosomes.

Allele A produces a pink anthocyanin pigment in the spines. Allele B has no effect by
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 itself, but increases the colour produced by allele A to give red spines. Alleles a and b
have no effect on spine colour. In the absence of anthocyanin, the spines are green.

(i) State the colour of the spines of raspberry plants with the following genotypes:

Aabb ......................................................................................................

aaBB ......................................................................................................
[2]

(ii) Suggest how allele B may alter the expression of allele A.

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[3]

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 (b) Plants with the genotypes AaBb and aabb were cross-pollinated. The resulting seeds
were sown and the seedlings grown until their stems developed spines.

(i) Draw a genetic diagram of this cross to show:

• the phenotypes of the parents

• the gametes

• the genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring

• the ratio of different phenotypes expected in the offspring.

ratio of phenotypes of offspring .............................................................

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[5]

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 (ii) Explain what differences in the phenotypic ratio would be expected if genes A/a and
B/b were on the same homologous pair of chromosomes, as shown in the figure
below.

A B a b
×
a b a b

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[5]
[Total 15 marks]

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