Abstract:

A new corn was developed as a lab material to verify the three Laws of Inheritance on only one F2 ear with correct segregation ratios of kernel traits. In order to investigate the three Inheritance Laws simultaneously with one ear, the sweet endosperm (Sn1), kernel color (C1) and the glutinous endosperm (Wx) were chosen as the original phenotypes. Gene Sn1sn1 is located on chromosome four, genes C1c1 and Wxwx are located on chromosome nine. After several generations of continuous self-pollination and test crossing, direct crossing and back crossing, with strict selections, the homozygous parents were ob-tained. With different combinations of homozygous parents, different hybrids were developed. The segregation ratios of each phenotype on the same F2 ear are compared to the theoretical segregation ratios according to the corn gene exchange and gam-ete types and quantities produced through meiosis. The results showed three ratios of 3︰1, two ratios of 9︰3︰3︰1, and one ratio of linkage and exchange, with all the chi-square values smaller than the permitted ones. This means that only one ear of this new hybrid corn can be used as a new teaching aid to examine and verify the three Laws of Inheritance.