Question

each of two parents has the genotype brown/blond, which consists of the pair of alleles that determine hair color, and each parent contributes one of those alleles to a child. assume that if the child has at least one brown allele, that color will dominate and the child’s hair color will be brown.
a. list the different possible outcomes. assume that these outcomes are equally likely.
b. what is the probability that a child of these parents will have the blond/blond genotype?
c. what is the probability that the child will have brown hair color?
a. list the possible outcomes.
○ a. brown/blond and blond/brown
○ b. brown/brown and blond/blond
○ c. brown/brown, brown/blond, and blond/blond
○ d. brown/brown, brown/blond, blond/brown, and blond/blond

Explanation:

Part a

Step1: Analyze Parent Alleles

Each parent has alleles brown (B) and blond (b), so each can contribute B or b.

Step2: List Offspring Combinations

• Parent 1 contributes B, Parent 2 contributes B: brown/brown
• Parent 1 contributes B, Parent 2 contributes b: brown/blond
• Parent 1 contributes b, Parent 2 contributes B: blond/brown
• Parent 1 contributes b, Parent 2 contributes b: blond/blond

Step1: Total Possible Outcomes

From part a, there are 4 possible outcomes (brown/brown, brown/blond, blond/brown, blond/blond).

Step2: Favorable Outcomes (blond/blond)

Only 1 outcome is blond/blond.

Step3: Calculate Probability

Probability = $\frac{\text{Favorable Outcomes}}{\text{Total Outcomes}}$ = $\frac{1}{4}$

Step1: Identify Brown Hair Outcomes

Brown hair occurs when there's at least one brown allele: brown/brown, brown/blond, blond/brown. That's 3 outcomes.

Step2: Total Outcomes

From part a, total outcomes are 4.

Step3: Calculate Probability

Probability = $\frac{\text{Brown Hair Outcomes}}{\text{Total Outcomes}}$ = $\frac{3}{4}$

Answer:

D. brown/brown, brown/blond, blond/brown, and blond/blond

Part b