If ‘R’ and ‘y’ were linked in the progeny plants due to inheriting a single whole gene set from each parent, independent assortment and recombination of these characteristics would be compromised. This linkage would prevent the independent expression of ‘R’ and ‘y,’ making it difficult to analyze and understand the inheritance patterns as intended in the experiment.
What would happen if the characteristics ‘R’ and ‘y’ were linked due to inheriting a single whole gene set from each parent?
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If the characteristics ‘R’ and ‘y’ were linked due to inheriting a single whole gene set from each parent, they would likely be inherited together as a linked gene pair. Linked genes are located on the same chromosome, and if they are close together, they tend to be inherited as a unit during meiosis. This means that the combination ‘Ry’ or ‘rY’ would be transmitted more frequently than expected based on independent assortment. Genetic linkage could impact the assortment patterns seen in offspring, potentially deviating from the Mendelian principle of independent assortment of unlinked genes.