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Principles of Inheritance and Variation: Class-XII


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MCQs on Principles of Inheritance and Variation: Class-XII for NEET Practice


Assertion (A):
In the dog flower (*Antirrhinum sp.*), the F1 hybrid from a cross between red (RR) and white (rr) parents is pink.
Reason (R):
The phenotype of the F1 generation is intermediate because the allele R is not completely dominant over the allele r, demonstrating incomplete dominance.

[Principles-of-Inheritance-and-Variation] [class-xii ]

  • (A) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (B) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (C) Assertion is true but Reason is false
  • (D) Assertion is false but Reason is true
  • Correct Option: A  [ A ]

    Remark: The F1 (Rr) in Snapdragon is pink. This is because R was not completely dominant over r, resulting in an intermediate phenotype, which is the definition of incomplete dominance.

Assertion (A):
Human ABO blood grouping is a good example of co-dominance.
Reason (R):
When the alleles $I^A$ and $I^B$ are present together in a person, they both express their own types of sugars simultaneously.

[Principles-of-Inheritance-and-Variation] [class-xii ]

  • (A) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (B) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (C) Assertion is true but Reason is false
  • (D) Assertion is false but Reason is true
  • Correct Option: A  [ A ]

    Remark: ABO blood grouping is an example of co-dominance. When $I^A$ and $I^B$ are together, they both express their sugars, which defines co-dominance.

Assertion (A):
The phenotype of a polygenic trait reflects the additive contribution of each allele.
Reason (R):
Polygenic inheritance is generally controlled by three or more genes and takes into account the influence of the environment.

[Principles-of-Inheritance-and-Variation] [class-xii ]

  • (A) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (B) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (C) Assertion is true but Reason is false
  • (D) Assertion is false but Reason is true
  • Correct Option: B  [ B ]

    Remark: In a polygenic trait, the phenotype reflects the additive contribution of each allele. R is also true, as polygenic inheritance involves multiple genes and environmental influence. However, R describes the general nature of polygenic inheritance, not why the contribution is additive (A).

Assertion (A):
Phenylketonuria is a pleiotropic disease resulting in mental retardation and reduction in hair and skin pigmentation.
Reason (R):
The underlying mechanism of pleiotropy is the effect of a single gene on multiple metabolic pathways which contribute towards different phenotypes.

[Principles-of-Inheritance-and-Variation] [class-xii ]

  • (A) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (B) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (C) Assertion is true but Reason is false
  • (D) Assertion is false but Reason is true
  • Correct Option: A  [ A ]

    Remark: Phenylketonuria is a pleiotropic disease with multiple phenotypic expressions (mental retardation, reduced pigmentation). Pleiotropy arises because a single gene affects multiple metabolic pathways.

Assertion (A):
The X body discovered by Henking in insects was later identified as the X-chromosome.
Reason (R):
The X-chromosome is involved in the determination of sex, and 50 per cent of the sperm produced in XO type insects receive this structure.

[Principles-of-Inheritance-and-Variation] [class-xii ]

  • (A) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (B) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (C) Assertion is true but Reason is false
  • (D) Assertion is false but Reason is true
  • Correct Option: A  [ A ]

    Remark: Henking discovered the X body (1891), which was later identified as the X-chromosome. It was designated the sex chromosome due to its role in sex determination, and in XO insects, 50% of sperm receive it.

Assertion (A):
T.H. Morgan observed a significant deviation from the expected 9:3:3:1 ratio in dihybrid crosses of *Drosophila* involving sex-linked genes.
Reason (R):
Genes located on the same chromosome showed physical association, described as linkage, which prevented independent segregation.

[Principles-of-Inheritance-and-Variation] [class-xii ]

  • (A) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (B) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (C) Assertion is true but Reason is false
  • (D) Assertion is false but Reason is true
  • Correct Option: A  [ A ]

    Remark: Morgan observed that the F2 ratio deviated significantly from 9:3:3:1 because the genes were located on the same chromosome. This physical association is called linkage.

Assertion (A):
The distance between two genes on the same chromosome can be measured by the frequency of recombination between them.
Reason (R):
Genes that are very tightly linked show a very low recombination percentage, while loosely linked genes show higher recombination.

[Principles-of-Inheritance-and-Variation] [class-xii ]

  • (A) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (B) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (C) Assertion is true but Reason is false
  • (D) Assertion is false but Reason is true
  • Correct Option: A  [ A ]

    Remark: Alfred Sturtevant used the frequency of recombination as a measure of the distance between genes. Tightly linked genes show very low recombination (e.g., 1.3%), while loosely linked genes show higher recombination (e.g., 37.2%).

Assertion (A):
Thalassemia is considered a qualitative problem, resulting in the synthesis of an incorrectly functioning globin molecule.
Reason (R):
Sickle-cell anaemia is a quantitative problem because it results from the reduced rate of synthesis of globin chains.

[Principles-of-Inheritance-and-Variation] [class-xii ]

  • (A) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (B) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (C) Assertion is true but Reason is false
  • (D) Assertion is false but Reason is true
  • Correct Option: D  [ D ]

    Remark: A is False: Thalassemia is a quantitative problem (too few globin molecules), while sickle-cell anaemia is a qualitative problem (incorrectly functioning globin).
    R is True: Thalassemia is due to reduced rate of synthesis of globin chains (quantitative problem), and sickle-cell anaemia is a qualitative problem.

Assertion (A):
The sex of a human child is determined by the genetic makeup of the sperm that fertilizes the ovum.
Reason (R):
Females produce only X-carrying ova, while males produce 50 per cent X-carrying sperm and 50 per cent Y-carrying sperm.

[Principles-of-Inheritance-and-Variation] [class-xii ]

  • (A) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (B) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (C) Assertion is true but Reason is false
  • (D) Assertion is false but Reason is true
  • Correct Option: A  [ A ]

    Remark: The genetic makeup of the sperm determines the sex of the child. This is because females produce only X ova, whereas males produce X or Y sperm, leading to XX (female) or XY (male) offspring.

Assertion (A):
In honey bees, male drones are haploid, having 16 chromosomes.
Reason (R):
Males develop from unfertilised eggs by means of parthenogenesis and thus do not have a father.

[Principles-of-Inheritance-and-Variation] [class-xii ]

  • (A) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (B) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion
  • (C) Assertion is true but Reason is false
  • (D) Assertion is false but Reason is true
  • Correct Option: A  [ A ]

    Remark: Male drones are haploid (16 chromosomes). They develop from unfertilised eggs via parthenogenesis, which is why they do not have a father.