Discover the Fascinating Inheritance of Flower Color in Snapdragons!
How is blossom color inherited in snapdragons?
Snapdragons provide an excellent example of the concept of incomplete dominance through the inheritance of bloom color. A red flower is produced by the genotype RR, a pink flower by Rr, and a white flower by WW.
What is the significance of partial dominance in snapdragon blooms?
The color of the flowers is regulated by partial dominance in the snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus. White and red (RR) are the two floral colors of the snapdragon (WW). Pink (Rr) snapdragon blooms are created through cross-pollination between red and white blossoms.
Answer:
Snapdragons exhibit incomplete dominance in the inheritance of flower color. A cross between a red and white snapdragon results in pink flowers, showcasing an intermediate trait. Therefore, 100% of the offspring from a red and white snapdragon combination will display pink flowers.
In the case of snapdragons, flower color follows a pattern known as incomplete dominance. This means that when two different traits (like red and white in the case of flower color) are combined in the offspring, an intermediate trait (in this case, pink) is exhibited. When a red snapdragon (RR) is crossed with a white snapdragon (WW), all the offspring are heterozygotes (RW) and would have pink flowers. This is different from the concept of dominance in Mendelian genetics, where the inherited trait would be either one of the parents' traits, not an intermediate.
Thus, if a white snapdragon is used to pollinate a red snapdragon, 100% of the offspring will be pink in color as the color expression is a result of incomplete dominance.