Experiment 4

Title: The Mendelian Principles, Gene Interaction and Polygenic Inheritance

Part A: Gene Interaction
Objective:
To study the way to recognize and interpret maize F2 data which vary from the Mendels law of
segregation and law of independent assortment as a result of gene interaction.
Result
Table 1: The results of the maizes kernels number were counted for each trait.
Maize code
Number of kernels
Purple Yellow White
6660 512 121 40
6680 111 295 98
6690 242 197 -
6700 121 610 -

For maize epistasis code 6660
H
0
: The ratio number of kernels were counted for purple : yellow : white is 12 : 3 : 1.
Phenotypes
Observed,
O
Expected, E O E (O E)
2
(O E)
2
/E
Purple 512 504.75 7.25 52.56 0.104
Yellow 121 126.19 -5.19 26.94 0.213
White 40 42.06 -2.06 4.24 0.1
Total 673 673 0 X
2
= 0.417
P value: 0.05 Degree of freedom: 3-1 = 2 Critical value: 5.991
Since, the calculated
2
value is smaller than the critical value, the H
0
is accepted. The ratio
number of kernels counted for purple : yellow : white is 12 : 3 : 1.





For maize epistasis code 6680
H
0
: The ratio number of kernels were counted for purple : yellow : white is 9 : 3 : 4.
Phenotypes
Observed,
O
Expected, E O E (O E)
2
(O E)
2
/E
Purple 111 126 -15 225 1.79
Yellow 295 283.5 11.5 132.25 0.47
White 98 94.5 3.5 12.25 0.13
Total 504 504 0 X
2
= 2.39
P value: 0.05 Degree of freedom: 3-1 = 2 Critical value: 5.991
Since, the calculated
2
value is smaller than the critical value, the H
0
is accepted. The ratio
number of kernels counted for purple : yellow : white is 9 : 3 : 4.
For maize epistasis code 6690
H
0
: The ratio number of kernels were counted for purple : yellow is 9 : 7.
Phenotypes
Observed,
O
Expected, E O E (O E)
2
(O E)
2
/E
Purple 242 246.94 -4.94 24.4 0.10
Yellow 197 192.06 4.94 24.4 0.13
Total 439 429 0 X
2
= 0.23
P value: 0.05 Degree of freedom: 2-1 = 1 Critical value: 3.841
Since, the calculated 2value is smaller than the critical value, therefore, the H
0
is accepted. The
ratio number of kernels were counted for purple: yellow : white is 9 : 7.
For maize epistasis code 6700
H
0
: The ratio number of kernels were counted for purple : yellow is 13 : 3.
Phenotypes
Observed,
O
Expected, E O E (O E)
2
(O E)
2
/E
Purple 121 137.06 -16.06 257.92 1.88
Yellow 610 593.94 16.06 257.92 0.43
Total 731 731 0 X
2
= 2.31
P value: 0.05 Degree of freedom: 2-1 = 1 Critical value: 3.841
Since, the calculated
2
value is smaller than the critical value , therefore, the H
0
is accepted. The
ratio number of kernels counted for purple : yellow : white is 13 : 3.


Part B: Polygenic Inheritance
Objective:
i. To investigate the way to construct a histogram by using the class data of total ridge counts
(TRC).
ii. To determine the characteristic of polygenic model of inheritance.
Result
Table 2: The data sheet for fingerprints of student

Left hand
Thumb Second Third Fourth Fifth
Pattern Loop Arch Arch Arch Loop
Ridge
Count
2 0 0 0 11
Fingerprints
Total Ridge Count (TRC) =13


Right hand
Thumb Second Third Fourth Fifth
Pattern Loop Arch Arch Arch Loop
Ridge
Count
8 0 0 0 4
Fingerprints
Total Ridge Count (TRC) = 12



Student Number of Fingers with TRC Sex
Loop Whorl Arch
YK 2 8 0 104 M
EW 9 0 1 85 M
SW 9 1 0 129 M
CH 5 4 1 133 M
Ben 9 0 1 68 M
WM 5 5 0 158 M
Henry 8 2 0 147 M
Sow Chan 7 3 0 195 F
Anna 10 0 0 179 F
Weni 7 3 0 102 F
Suzie 10 0 0 111 F
Elaine 0 10 0 155 F
Jess 3 7 0 143 F
Caryn 5 3 2 88 F
Joanne 4 6 0 162 F
Bryan 10 0 0 102 M
Krish 7 3 0 144 F
Chin Keong 4 0 6 25 M
Shu Jian 6 4 0 189 M
Chai Ching 7 2 1 95 F
Thong Wah 10 0 0 160 M
Shi Jing 5 0 5 56 F
Yong Syuan 3 7 0 167 F
Kok Sim 5 5 0 163 M
Yee Teng 6 0 4 83 F
Totals 156 73 21 3143
% of Totals 62.4% 29.2% 8.4%
Mean TRC 125.72
Mean Female TRC 129.23
Mean Male TRC 121.92

Table 4: The number of students in each category of TRC
TRC range
Number of students
Male Female
0 50 1 0
51 100 2 4
101 150 5 4
151 200 4 5
201 250 0 0




1
2
5
4
0 0
4 4
5
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
0 50 51 100 101 150 151 200 201 250
Histogram of TRC amount of male and
female students

Number of students Number of students
Questions :
1. Is there a difference between male and female average TRCs?

From data collected, male has an average of 121.92 while female has an average of
129.23.
Yes, there is a difference between male and female average TRCs.

2. If so, what might account for this difference?

According to Acrees 1999 theory, men have coarse ridge detail that result in fewer
ridges while women tend to have finer ridge detail and therefore having more ridges.
(Bell, n.d.)

Reference:
Bell, A., n.d. Loop ridge count differences between genders. [Online]
Available at:
http://www.neiai.org/neiai/uploads/Kent%20Smotherman/files/Ridge%20counts%20between%20males
%20and%20females.pdf
[Accessed 10 July 2013].