Class XII BIOLOGY

Notes Chapter-5 Principles of Inheritance

1. Define the following term:
a) Inheritance- The process by which characters are transferred from one
generation to the next generation is called inheritance.
b) Variations- The differences in traits of individuals of a progeny, from
each other and from their parents are called variations.
c) Genetics-the branch of science which deals with inheritance and
variations.
d) Monohybrid cross- Cross involving study of inheritance of one
character.
e) Dihybrid cross- Cross between plants differing in two traits/cross
involving study of 2 genes or characters.
f) Homozygous- The individual carrying similar allele for a trait.
Eg.TT/tt
g) Heterozygous- Individual carrying different alleles for a trait. Eg.Tt
h) Phenotype- Visible expression of genetic constitution Eg. Tall/dwarf
i) Genotype- Genetic constitution of an individual Eg. TT,Tt.tt

2. What are true breeding lines that are used to study inheritance
pattern of traits in plants?
Ans. True breeding lines are the plants which have undergone continuous
self-pollination, shows the stable traits inheritance and expression for several
generation.
3. What is a test cross? How can it decipher (help to understand) the
heterozygosity of a plant?
Ans. Test Cross- A cross between two organisms in which an organism
showing dominant phenotype whose genotype is to be determined is crossed
with the recessive parent instead of selfing.
On crossing with recessive parent, if 50% of the progeny have dominant trait
and 50% have recessive trait then the plant is said to be heterozygous.
4. State and explain the law of dominance proposed by Mendel.
Ans. This law states that characters are controlled by discrete units called
factors which occurs in pairs.
-In a dissimilar pair of factors one member of the pair dominates the other
(recessive)
 5. What is the basis of the law of Segregation?
Ans. This law is based on the fact that the allele do not show any blending
and that both the characters are recovered as such in the F2 generation though
one of these is not seen at the F1 stage.
6.Explain the phenomenon of Incomplete dominance with suitable
example.
Ans. It is a phenomenon in which when two contrasting alleles are present
together neither of the allele is dominant over the other and the phenotype of the
progeny formed neither resembles either of the parent and is intermediate of the
two allele.
Example: Inheritance in flower colour of dog flower (Snapdragon or
Antirrhinum majus). In a cross between true breeding red flower (RR) and true
breeding white flower (rr), the F1 (Rr) was pink.
When F1 was selfed the F2 resulted in the ratio as follows -
1 (RR) Red : 2(Rr)Pink :1(rr) White.
7. In snapdragon, a cross between true breeding red flowered (RR) plant
and true breeding white flowered (rr) plant showed the progeny of plants
with all pink colour flower.
a) The appearance of pink flower is not called blending. Why?
b) What is the phenomenon known as?
Ans.a) R (dominant allele red colour) is not completely dominant over r
(recessive allele white colour), r maintains its originality and reappears in F2
generation. Therefore, it is not called blending.
b) The phenomenon is called incomplete dominance.
8. Explain the phenomena of dominance, multiple allelism and co-
dominance taking ABO blood group as an example.
Ans. a) Dominance- The alleles IA and IB both are dominant over allele i as IA
and IB form antigens A and B respectively but i does not form any antigen.
b) Multiple allelism- It is the phenomenon of occurrence of a gene in more than
two allele forms on the same locus. In ABO blood group in humans, one gene I
has three allele IA, IB and i.
c) Co-dominance- It is a phenomenon in which both the alleles express
themselves when present together. We inherit two alleles for the blood group.
When the genotype is IAIB, the individual has AB blood group since IA and IB
equally influence the formation of antigen A and B.
Notes on polygenic inheritance has been given in the class.
9. What is the inheritance pattern observed in the
size of starch grains and seed shape of Pisum sativum? Work out the
monohybrid cross showing the above traits. How does this pattern of
inheritance deviate from the that of Mendelian law of dominance?
Ans. A single gene product may produce more than one effect. Starch synthesis
in pea seed is controlled by a single gene B. It has two allele B and b. Starch is
synthesised effectively by BB and therefore large starch grains are produced.
- In contrast bb have lesser efficiency in starch synthesis and produce
smaller grains.
- After maturation of the seeds, BB seeds are round and bb seeds are
wrinkled.
- Heterozygotes produce round seed and so B seems to be dominant allele.
But, the starch grain produced are intermediate size in Bb seeds.
- So, starch grain is considered a phenotype then from this angle it shows
incomplete dominance which is a deviation from Mendel’s law of
dominance.
- But with respect to seed shape it follows Mendel’s law of dominance by
showing either round or wrinkled seed.
- Parents BB x bb
Big,round Small, wrinkled

Gametes B b
F1 generation Bb (Intermediate size, Round)
Selfing
F2 generation B b
B BB Bb
Big/ Round Intermediate Size/Round

b Bb bb
Intermediate Size/Round Small/ Wrinkled
 10. How does the test cross help to determine the genotype of an
individual?
Ans. In a test cross the individual of unknown genotype is crossed with the
recessive parent. If all progenies are dominant, then the genotype exhibits
homozygosity and if progenies have a dominant to recessive ratio 1:1, then
the genotype exhibits heterozygosity.

11. Explain the Inheritance of two genes with the help of a cross.

A cross made to study simultaneous inheritance of two pairs of Mendelian factors

of genes.

Law of independent Assortment – The law states that ‘when two pairs of traits are
combined in a hybrid, segregation of one pair of characters is independent of the
other pair of characters’.

In Dihybrid cross two new combinations, round green & wrinkled yellow are
formed due to independent assortment of traits for seed shape i.e round, wrinkled
and seed color i.e , yellow and green.

The ratio of 9:3:3:1 can be derived as a combination series of 3 yellow: 1 green,

with 3 round : 1 wrinkled.
This derivation can be written as follows: (3 Round : 1 Wrinkled) (3 Yellow : 1
Green) = 9 Round, Yellow : 3 Wrinkled, Yellow: 3 Round, Green : 1 Wrinkled,
Green