Parent 1 A
a
Parent 2
Aa
A
AA | Аа
a
Aa
a a
U
Parent l's
possible gametes
Possible offspring
What is the possibility that the offspring will be heterozygous?

The Punnett square is a valuable tool, but it's not ideal for every genetics problem. For instance, suppose you were asked to calculate the frequency of the recessive class not for an Aa x Aa cross, not for an AaBb x AaBb cross, but for an AaBbCcDdEe x AaBbCcDdEe cross. If you wanted to solve that question using a Punnett square, you could do it – but you'd need to complete a Punnett square with 1024 boxes. Probably not what you want to draw during an exam, or any other time, if you can help it!

The five-gene problem above becomes less intimidating once you realize that a Punnett square is just a visual way of representing probability calculations. Although it’s a great tool when you’re working with one or two genes, it can become slow and cumbersome as the number goes up. At some point, it becomes quicker (and less error-prone) to simply do the probability calculations by themselves, without the visual representation of a clunky Punnett square. In all cases, the calculations and the square provide the same information, but by having both tools in your belt, you can be prepared to handle a wider range of problems in a more efficient way.

In this article, we’ll review some probability basics, including how to calculate the probability of two independent events both occurring (event X and event Y) or the probability of either of two mutually exclusive events occurring (event X or event Y). We’ll then see how these calculations can be applied to genetics problems, and, in particular, how they can help you solve problems involving relatively large numbers of genes.

explanation:

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