Question

Cats have 38 chromosomes, or 19 pairs. Long hair in cats is a recessive trait (s) while short hair is a dominant trait (S). A cat that is heterozygous for short hair (Ss) and a cat that is homozygous for long hair (ss) are a mated pair. There is a 50% chance of an offspring being heterozygous for short hair, and a 50% chance of an offspring being homozygous for long hair. They have a total of 11 offspring, all of which have long hair. Is this possible? Why or why not?(1 point)
Responses

Yes, the probability of any outcome is independent of prior outcomes
Yes, the probability of any outcome is independent of prior outcomes

No, the 50/50 probabilities mean that at least 50% of the offspring should be homozygous for long hair.
No, the 50/50 probabilities mean that at least 50% of the offspring should be homozygous for long hair.

No, with fewer chromosomes than humans, the probabilities would be different.
No, with fewer chromosomes than humans, the probabilities would be different.

Yes, the difference in number of chromosomes would allow this to happen.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

**Yes, the probability of any outcome is independent of prior outcomes.**

This is because genetic probability applies independently to each individual offspring. Although there is a calculated 50% chance for the offspring to inherit the trait for short hair and a 50% chance for long hair, this does not guarantee that a certain number or proportion of offspring will show those traits in a small sample size. It is entirely possible, albeit unlikely, for all 11 offspring to exhibit the long hair trait given the specified genetic makeup of the parents (one heterozygous for short hair and one homozygous for long hair). The outcomes of offspring are determined by chance, and in random distribution, it is feasible to observe all offspring exhibiting one trait.