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Ch. 4 - Gene Interaction
Sanders - Genetic Analysis: An Integrated Approach 3rd Edition
Sanders3rd EditionGenetic Analysis: An Integrated ApproachISBN: 9780135564172Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 4, Problem 9b

The ABO blood group assorts independently of the rhesus (Rh) blood group and both assort independently of the MN blood group. Three alleles, IA, IB and i, occur at the ABO locus. Two alleles, R, a dominant allele producing Rh+, and r, a recessive allele for Rh-, are found at the Rh locus, and codominant alleles M and N occur at the MN locus. Each gene is autosomal.
What proportion of children born to a man with genotype IAIB Rr MN and a woman who is IAi Rr NN will have blood types B, Rh- , and MN? Show your work.

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Identify the genotypes of the parents for each locus: - ABO locus: Man is IAIB, Woman is IAi - Rh locus: Both man and woman are Rr - MN locus: Man is MN, Woman is NN
Determine the possible gametes each parent can produce for each locus by applying Mendelian inheritance: - ABO locus: Man can produce IA or IB, Woman can produce IA or i - Rh locus: Both can produce R or r - MN locus: Man can produce M or N, Woman can produce N only
Calculate the probability of the child having blood type B at the ABO locus: - Blood type B requires genotype IBIB or IBi - Find the probability that the child inherits IB from the man and i from the woman
Calculate the probability of the child being Rh- at the Rh locus: - Rh- phenotype requires genotype rr (homozygous recessive) - Find the probability that the child inherits r from both parents
Calculate the probability of the child having the MN blood group genotype MN: - MN is codominant, so genotype MN means one M allele and one N allele - Find the probability that the child inherits M from the man and N from the woman - Finally, multiply the probabilities from the ABO, Rh, and MN loci to get the overall proportion of children with blood type B, Rh-, and MN

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Mendelian Independent Assortment

Independent assortment is the principle that genes located on different chromosomes are inherited independently of each other. In this question, the ABO, Rh, and MN blood group genes assort independently, meaning the inheritance of one does not affect the others. This allows the use of separate Punnett squares or probability multiplication to determine combined genotype frequencies.
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Allelic Inheritance and Blood Group Genetics

Each blood group system involves specific alleles with distinct dominance relationships: ABO has three alleles (I^A, I^B, i) with I^A and I^B codominant and i recessive; Rh has two alleles (R dominant for Rh+ and r recessive for Rh-); MN has two codominant alleles (M and N). Understanding these dominance patterns is essential to predict offspring phenotypes from parental genotypes.
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Probability Calculation in Genetic Crosses

To find the proportion of children with specific combined traits, calculate the probability of each trait separately using Punnett squares or allele combinations, then multiply these probabilities due to independent assortment. This approach yields the overall likelihood of offspring having the desired blood type, Rh factor, and MN genotype.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Two genes interact to produce various phenotypic ratios among F₂ progeny of a dihybrid cross. Design a different pathway explaining each of the F₂ ratios below, using hypothetical genes R and T and assuming that the dominant allele at each locus catalyzes a different reaction or performs an action leading to pigment production. The recessive allele at each locus is null (loss-of-function). Begin each pathway with a colorless precursor that produces a white or albino phenotype if it is unmodified. The ratios are for F₂ progeny produced by crossing wild-type F₁ organisms with the genotype RrTt.

9/16 black : 3/16 gray : 4/16 albino

Textbook Question

Two genes interact to produce various phenotypic ratios among F₂ progeny of a dihybrid cross. Design a different pathway explaining each of the F₂ ratios below, using hypothetical genes R and T and assuming that the dominant allele at each locus catalyzes a different reaction or performs an action leading to pigment production. The recessive allele at each locus is null (loss-of-function). Begin each pathway with a colorless precursor that produces a white or albino phenotype if it is unmodified. The ratios are for F₂ progeny produced by crossing wild-type F₁ organisms with the genotype RrTt.

13/16 white : 3/16 green

Textbook Question

The ABO blood group assorts independently of the rhesus (Rh) blood group and both assort independently of the MN blood group. Three alleles, IA, IB and i, occur at the ABO locus. Two alleles, R, a dominant allele producing Rh+, and r, a recessive allele for Rh-, are found at the Rh locus, and codominant alleles M and N occur at the MN locus. Each gene is autosomal.

A child with blood types A, Rh−, and M is born to a woman who has blood types O, Rh−, and MN and a man who has blood types A, Rh+, and M. Determine the genotypes of each parent.

Textbook Question

The ABO blood group assorts independently of the rhesus (Rh) blood group and both assort independently of the MN blood group. Three alleles, IA, IB, and i, occur at the ABO locus. Two alleles, R, a dominant allele producing Rh+, and r, a recessive allele for Rh-, are found at the Rh locus, and codominant alleles M and N occur at the MN locus. Each gene is autosomal.

A man with blood types B, Rh+, and N says he could not be the father of a child with blood types O, Rh−, and MN. The mother of the child has blood types A, Rh+, and MN. Is the man correct? Explain.

Textbook Question

In rats, gene B produces black coat color if the genotype is , but black pigment is not produced if the genotype is bb. At an independent locus, gene D produces yellow pigment if the genotype is D-, but no pigment is produced when the genotype is dd. Production of both pigments results in brown coat color. If neither pigment is produced, coat color is cream. Determine the genotypes of parents of litters with the following phenotype distributions.


4 brown, 4 black, 4 yellow, 4 cream

Textbook Question

In rats, gene B produces black coat color if the genotype is , but black pigment is not produced if the genotype is bb. At an independent locus, gene D produces yellow pigment if the genotype is D-, but no pigment is produced when the genotype is dd. Production of both pigments results in brown coat color. If neither pigment is produced, coat color is cream. Determine the genotypes of parents of litters with the following phenotype distributions.


3 brown, 3 yellow, 1 black, 1 cream