Question

When female albino plant of maize is crossed with male green plant, all progeny is albino because of

• A. Plastid inheritance
• B. Albino being dominant trait
• C. Mutations in plastids
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Plastid inheritance

Albino inheritance is an example of cytoplasmic inheritance in which traits are inherited through cytoplasmic genes; not by nuclear genes. Since mother contribute much of the cytoplasm to the developing embryo, these traits show maternal effect. Albino genes are present on plastids genome. Hence, phenotype of offspring is determined by genotype of mother, i.e., albino mother will have albino offspring. Further, albino is not a dominant trait, it is a recessive trait. Thus, correct answer is option A.