A student is completing a Punnett square for a trait (X/x) that is autosomal and inherited by the dominant allele. The father does not have it (xx), but the mother does (Xx). If they had two children, a son and a daughter, what would the completed Punnett square look like (i.e., would the son have the trait, would the daughter have the trait)?(1 point)

Question

Responses

Each child has a 50% chance of inheriting the trait.
Each child has a 50% chance of inheriting the trait.

One child would inherit the trait and one child would not.
One child would inherit the trait and one child would not.

Both children would inherit the trait.
Both children would inherit the trait.

Both children would not inherit the trait.

Answer 1

To determine the possible traits of the children from the given parents using a Punnett square, we can set up the following parameters:

• The mother's genotype is Xx (heterozygous, carrying the dominant allele X).
• The father's genotype is xx (homozygous recessive, not having the trait).

We'll create a Punnett square with the mother's alleles on the top and the father's alleles on the side:

            X        x
         -----------------
       x |    Xx    |   xx   |
         -----------------
       x |    Xx    |   xx   |
         -----------------

From this Punnett square, the possible genotypes for the children are:

• Xx (inherits the dominant trait)
• xx (inherits the recessive trait)

Now, looking at the results from the Punnett square:

• 50% of the offspring (2 out of 4) will have the genotype Xx and thus will express the dominant trait.
• 50% of the offspring (2 out of 4) will have the genotype xx and thus will not express the trait.

Thus, each child (whether a son or a daughter) has a 50% chance of inheriting the trait. Therefore, the response regarding the children's traits would be:

Each child has a 50% chance of inheriting the trait.