1 The four o’clock plant, Mirabilis jalapa, can have flowers of three different colours as shown
in Fig. 4.1.
yellow
flower
crimson flower orange-red flower
Fig. 4.1
(a) A student crossed some crimson-flowered plants with some yellow-flowered plants
(cross 1). She collected the seeds and grew them. All of the plants that grew from
these seeds had orange-red flowers.
Complete the genetic diagram to explain the result of cross 1.
parental phenotypes crimson flowers × yellow flowers
parental genotypes A CA C × AYAY
gametes .............. + ..............
offspring genotype ................
offspring phenotype ........................
[3]
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(b) The student then carried out three further crosses as shown in Table 4.1.
Table 4.1
cross
ross geno of offspring
2 offspring of cross 1 × offspring of cross
3 offspring of cross 1 × crimson-flowered plant
4 offspring of cross 1 × yellow-flowered plant
Complete Table 4.1 by writing the genotypes of the offspring of crosses 2, 3 and 4,
using the same symbols as in the genetic diagram in (a).
Write the genotypes in Table 4.1.
You may use the space below for any working.
[3]
(c) Flower colour in M. jalapa is not an example of the inheritance of dominant and
recessive alleles.
Explain how the results of the crosses show that these alleles for flower colour are not
dominant or recessive.
[3]
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Flowers from M. jalapa were cross-pollinated.
(d) Explain the difference between self-pollination and cross-pollination.
[2]
(e) Some species of plants are self-pollinated.
Discuss the long-term effects of self-pollination on the evolution of these plants.
[4]
[Total: 15]
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2 Haemoglobin is a large protein molecule. The structure of each haemoglobin molecule is
controlled by a gene that has two alleles:
• HbA codes for the normal form of haemoglobin,
• HbS codes for an abnormal form of haemoglobin.
Red blood cells containing only the abnormal form of haemoglobin become a stiff, sickle
shape in conditions of low oxygen concentration. This gives rise to sickle cell anaemia.
(a) Describe the harmful effects on the body of having red blood cells which become
sickle-shaped.
[5]
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People who are heterozygous for the gene for haemoglobin produce both the normal and
abnormal forms of haemoglobin. These people show no symptoms or have very mild
symptoms known as sickle cell trait.
(b) (i) Complete the genetic diagram to show how a couple who are both heterozygous
may have a child with sickle cell anaemia.
parental phenotypes sickle cell trait × sickle cell trait
parental genotypes ................ × ................
gametes .............. .............. + .............. ..............
offspring genotypes ................ ................ ................ ................
offspring phenotypes ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................
[3]
(ii) What is the chance of a child born to this couple having sickle cell anaemia?
[1]
In some parts of the world, up to 25% of the population have sickle cell trait.
(c) State the advantage of having sickle cell trait.
[1]
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(d) Discuss whether sickle cell trait is an example of codominance.
[2]
[Total: 12]
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3 Two species of beetle, Tribolium castaneum and T. confusum, can infest and eat stored
flour.
In an investigation these two species were kept together in containers of flour under
different environmental conditions.
Many identical containers were set up, each with the same mass of flour.
Equal numbers of male and female flour beetles of the two species were put into each
container at the start.
The numbers of beetles were counted regularly.
The containers were left until only one species survived.
Table 5.1 shows the percentage of containers in which T. castaneum or T. confusum were
the only survivors.
Table 5.1
percentage of containers in percentage of containers in
environmental conditions which only T. castaneum which only T. confusum
survived / % survived / %
A hot and wet 100 0
B hot and dry 10 90
C warm and wet 86 14
D warm and dry 13 87
E cold and wet 29 71
F cold and dry 0 100
(a) Compare the survival of the two species of flour beetle in different temperatures and
humidities.
Use data from Table 5.1 to illustrate your answer.
[4]
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(b) Suggest why only one species survived in each container.
[2]
There is a gene in T. confusum which controls body colour.
A represents the dominant allele for red-brown body colour.
a represents the recessive allele for black body colour.
(c) Complete the genetic diagram below to show the colour of beetles produced when
heterozygous beetles are crossed with beetles that are homozygous recessive for this
gene.
parental phenotypes ............................ × ............................
parental genotypes ............................ × ............................
gametes ............. ............. + ............. .............
offspring genotypes ........................................................
offspring phenotypes ........................................................
ratio of phenotypes ........................................................
[4]
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The eyes of Tribolium species are usually black. A very small number of flour beetles have
white eyes.
(d) Explain how this happens and why they are so rare.
[2]
(e) Insect pests, such as flour beetles, eat the flour and deposit nitrogenous waste in urine
and faeces into the flour. This leads to the growth of bacteria and fungi in the flour.
Suggest and explain what happens to the nitrogenous waste and the faeces released
by the flour beetles.
[4]
[Total: 16]
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
