Question

mendels pea plants had either purple or white flowers. this means that the plants
can self - pollinate.
have two recessive traits.
have two alleles for the gene.
have two copies of a gene from one parent.

Explanation:

• Self - pollination is a reproductive method and not directly related to having two flower color phenotypes.
• If they had two recessive traits, it would not explain the presence of two distinct phenotypes (purple and white) in a simple Mendelian sense. Usually, one trait (e.g., flower color) has dominant and recessive alleles.
• According to Mendelian genetics, for a trait like flower color, pea plants have two alleles (e.g., one for purple - dominant, one for white - recessive) for the gene controlling flower color.
• Pea plants get one copy of a gene from each parent (not two from one parent) during sexual reproduction.

Answer:

have two alleles for the gene.