Ovules produced by an entirely green plant contain a rare mutation in a nuclear gene that is involved in chlorophyll synthesis, and the gene encodes a nonfunctional protein. Predict the most likely color of the leaves on plants that are produced when these ovules are fertilized by pollen from a wild-type green plant.
A) Green
B) Yellow
C) White
D) Red
The correct answer is A) Green.
Explanation: The ovules from the plant with the rare mutation produce nonfunctional proteins involved in chlorophyll synthesis, leading to a defective or absent chlorophyll production. However, when these ovules are fertilized by pollen from a wild-type green plant, the resulting offspring will inherit the wild-type alleles from the pollen parent. Since the wild-type green plant can produce functional chlorophyll, the leaves of the resulting plants will likely be green, as the functional alleles from the wild-type will dominate the nonfunctional ones from the mutated plant.