TEST CROSS

How to tell the difference between

homozygous and heterozygous
individuals that have dominant
phenotypes
2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

Selfing or test cross?

Plants can be selfed

Homozygous plants (AA) are pure breeding
Heterozygotes (Aa) will give 75% dominant
(AA and Aa) and 25% recessive (aa)
phenotypes in their offspring
Animals are not usually hermaphroditic so
they cannot be selfed
Animals require a test cross to be carried
out (though these days a gene probe is
more likely to be used).

2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

Coat colour in mice

Traits
Grey
White

Alleles Genotypes Phenotypes

G
g

GG
Gg

Grey
Grey

gg

White

Grey mice could have one of two different

genotypes, GG or Gg.
If they are crossed with a white mouse
(gg) these genotypes will give two different
results

2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

Phenotypes

Homozygous
Grey

Genotypes

Gametes

Offspring
2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

White

GG

gg

g
g

Gg

Gg

Gg

Gg

Grey

White

100%

0%

Phenotypes

Heterozygous
Grey

Genotypes

Gametes

Offspring
2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

White

Gg

gg

g
g

Gg

Gg

gg

gg

Grey

White

50%

50%