Carol and Joseph have freckles and curly red hair. All of their children, except one, also have freckles and curly red hair. Their son, Sam, has the same curly red hair but not one freckle! How can a child get a chromosome that is totally different from the original chromosomes of both parents?

Question

Responses
A gene flowgene flow
B genetic driftgenetic drift
C crossing overcrossing over
D natural selection

Answer 1

The situation described in your question involves the expression of traits (like freckles and hair type) that can be influenced by genetic inheritance. The presence of a child, Sam, who has curly red hair like his parents but lacks freckles suggests that he may have inherited a combination of genes that is not typical based on his parents' traits.

The correct answer to how a child can have a chromosome that is different from both parents in terms of expressed traits, such as having no freckles but still having curly red hair, relates to gene variation and inheritance mechanisms, specifically in this context. However, none of the options explicitly describe this.

The closest answer from provided options is:

C. crossing over

This process occurs during meiosis, where chromosomes exchange segments of genetic material. This can create new combinations of genes and can lead to offspring with traits not visibly exhibited by the parents, even if the underlying genetic makeup is derived from both parents. Thus, while not every element of the question directly correlates, "crossing over" is the most relevant to explain genetic variation among children.