Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

What result occurs from a cross between a red flower and a white flower displaying incomplete dominance?

1. A white flower

2. A red flower

3. A pink flower

4. Both red and white flowers

The correct answer is: A pink flower

In a scenario of incomplete dominance, the offspring produced from a cross between two distinct phenotypes exhibit a blended trait rather than one parental trait completely dominating the other. In this case, crossing a red flower with a white flower results in offspring that exhibit an intermediate phenotype, which is pink. This blending occurs because neither allele is completely dominant over the other. Instead of a flower being either purely red or purely white, the resulting flower inherits characteristics from both parents, leading to the expression of a new, distinct color, pink. The idea of incomplete dominance helps to illustrate the complexity of genetic inheritance beyond the typical Mendelian traits, showcasing how traits can blend in new and unique ways when two different phenotypes are combined.