Question

F1 generation of a cross between a red flowered plant and white flowered plant predominantly consisted of red flowered plants indicating red flower trait is
A. Dominant
B. Assorted
C. Recessive
D. Hybrid

Answer 1

When two plants are crossed, new offsprings are produced. This offspring generation is referred to as the F1 generation or filial progeny. This process of crossing two different plants with different genotypes is called hybridisation. Hybridisation studies are used in the study of inheritance and genetics. Usually, when two plants with different characters are crossed, any character in one of the plants is expressed in the F1 generation..

Complete answer: The detectable variant of an inherited character is called the trait . When two plants with different traits are hybridised to form the offspring generation, the trait of any one plant is expressed in the first generation. The trait expressed in the F1 generation is called the dominant trait. The trait not expressed in the F1 generation is called the recessive trait. Phenotype is the physical appearance of a character whereas genotype is the genetic constitution of a character. Both the traits are transferred to the offspring but only one is expressed in the phenotype. This is the Mendel’s law of dominance.
According to this law, in the above question, the character expressed in the F1 generation is red coloured flowers and therefore, red colour is the dominant trait whereas white colour is the recessive trait as it was not expressed.
F2 generation is formed when F1 generation organisms self pollinate. When F2 generation offsprings are produced, the character which was recessive in the first generation will be expressed in about 25% of the F2 offsprings.
Gregor Johan Mendel was the first to do a systematic recorded study on inheritance by conducting hybridisation in pea plants (Pisum sativum). The offspring of F1 generation obtained by hybridisation is called a hybrid. Another law proposed by Mendel is the law of independent assortment which is applicable when crosses between plants different in two traits are studied. The law states that when two pairs of traits are combined in a hybrid, segregation of one pair of characters is independent of the other pair of characters. But such an assortment is not seen in this scenario because here only one character, that is the colour of the flower is being observed.
The correct answer is Option A - Dominant.

Note:
It is not necessary that only dominant and recessive characters should be present in an F2 generation offspring. A phenomenon called Incomplete dominance is shown in some organisms where in some F2 offsprings, both the traits of the plants get expressed which results in a state of transformation in the dominant character. Here, the dominant character cannot completely dominate over a recessive character. Many more exceptions in Mendel’s laws are present. These were the most primitive studies of inheritance.