2004 AIPMT Principles of Inheritance and VariationInheritance of Three Genes Medium Question 158 of 198 in Principles of Inheritance and Variation

A self-fertilizing trihybrid plant forms :-

A 4 different gametes and 16 different zygotes
B 8 different gametes and 16 different zygotes
C 8 different gametes and 32 different zygotes
D 8 different gametes and 64 different zygotes

The answer is D.

Solution

A trihybrid plant is heterozygous for three genes, e.g. AaBbCc.
Number of types of gametes $= 2^n$, where n is the number of heterozygous gene pairs: $2^3 = 8$ (ABC, ABc, AbC, Abc, aBC, aBc, abC, abc).
On self-fertilisation, each of the 8 types of male gametes can fuse with each of the 8 types of female gametes.
Number of zygote combinations $= 8 \times 8 = 64$ (the squares of the Punnett square).
(These give 27 different genotypes and 8 phenotypes in the ratio 27 : 9 : 9 : 9 : 3 : 3 : 3 : 1.)
So the plant forms 8 different gametes and 64 different zygotes.

Concept Gametes and zygotes in a trihybrid cross

Principles of Inheritance and Variation in past papers

198 questions from this chapter have appeared across 27 exam years.