Name: Polygenic Inheritance
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 6 min 52 s
Description: Human skin and eye colour are examples of polygenic inheritance. This video explains the concept and examples of polygenic inheritance. Learn more.

Question

What are complementary genes? Explain with the help of an example.

Accepted Answer

Genes can be characterised as a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that encodes the synthesis of a gene product. Genes play an essential role in the transport of the heredity information. Complementary gene can be characterised as an interaction of two dominant non inter-allelic gene in which each gene have its own effect but when come together to interact a new trait is developed and the Mendelian ratio 9:3:3:1 is changed to 9:7 due to complementation of both genes.

For an example when white flowered sweet peas are crossed they produce plants with purple flower F1 plants on inbreeding or self-fertilization give F2 generation in a ratio of purple flowered to 7 white flowered plant. Two pairs of genes located in different chromosomes regulate the flower colour in their varieties of sweet peas. One dominant gene, say C, controls the synthesis of the raw material for the purple pigment and another dominant gene, say E, controls the formation of an enzyme that converts the raw material into purple pigment. At least one C gene and one E gene must be present to produce purple flowers; the absence of any one or both results in white flowers.

What are complementary genes? Explain with the help of an example.

Important Questions on Principles of Inheritance and Variation

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