Question

Two wavy-haired individuals (neither curly hair nor straight hair are completely dominant) reproduce. What are the chances that their children will have wavy hair? a. \(0 \%\) b. \(25 \%\) c. \(50 \%\) d. \(100 \%\)

Short answer

The correct answer is c. \(50 \%\).

Step-by-step solution

Write down the parents' genotypes

Since both parents have wavy hair, their genotypes are CS and SC.

Create a Punnett square

Draw a Punnett square to determine the possible offspring genotypes when crossing their alleles. The Punnett square should have a 2x2 grid with one parent's alleles along the top and the other parent's alleles along the side.

Fill in the Punnett square

Fill each square in the grid with the combination of alleles from the corresponding row and column. The Punnett square should look like this: | | C | S | |---|---|---| | C | CC | CS | | S | SC | SS |

Analyze the offspring genotypes

Now, look at the resulting genotypes in the square. There are 4 possibilities: CC, CS, SC, and SS. Since wavy hair is represented by the genotypes CS and SC, there are two possible outcomes with wavy hair out of the four.

Calculate the probability of wavy-haired offspring

To find the probability, divide the number of outcomes with wavy hair (2) by the total number of possible outcomes (4): \( Probability = \frac{2}{4} = \frac{1}{2} = 50 \% \) Based on the given options: a. \(0 \%\) b. \(25 \%\) c. \(50 \%\) d. \(100 \%\) The correct answer is c. \(50 \%\).