Hydrangea macrophylla plants can have flowers that are blue, white or pink. White plants are never true breeding. Crossing two white plants results in 2/3 white and 1/3 colored flowers (all pink, all blue or some pink and some blue). When true breeding blue plants are crossed with true breeding pink plants the resulting F1 generation are all blue. When these F1 Blue plants are crossed with white plants the progeny are 3/8 blue, 1/8 pink and 1/2 white.
When cuttings from a large F1 blue hydrangea plant are planted all over a housing development about ½ the adult plants produce pink flowers the following year and ½ produce blue flowers. Note that all the plants in the housing development are genetically identical.
F. Based on the results of the above experiment you have decided to apply for a grant from Monsanto to further understand the genetics of flower color in Hydrangea macrophylla. You feel this is important research as results from your study may aid in developing a profitable ornamental strain of hydrangea. You have two main goals: 1: determine heritability(H2/h2) of flower color and 2: Determine the genes involved in flower color. In the space provided briefly outline your experimental design for each goal and your hypothesis and/or predicted results.
Hydrangea macrophylla plants can have flowers that are blue, white or pink. White plants are never true breeding. Crossing two white plants results in 2/3 white and 1/3 colored flowers (all pink, all blue or some pink and some blue). When true breeding blue plants are crossed with true breeding pink plants the resulting F1 generation are all blue. When these F1 Blue plants are crossed with white plants the progeny are 3/8 blue, 1/8 pink and 1/2 white.
When cuttings from a large F1 blue hydrangea plant are planted all over a housing development about ½ the adult plants produce pink flowers the following year and ½ produce blue flowers. Note that all the plants in the housing development are genetically identical.
F. Based on the results of the above experiment you have decided to apply for a grant from Monsanto to further understand the genetics of flower color in Hydrangea macrophylla. You feel this is important research as results from your study may aid in developing a profitable ornamental strain of hydrangea. You have two main goals: 1: determine heritability(H2/h2) of flower color and 2: Determine the genes involved in flower color. In the space provided briefly outline your experimental design for each goal and your hypothesis and/or predicted results.
