Question

While studying the inheritance of seed coat color (yellow vs. green), the segregation for seed coat color will be visible first in:

• A. F1 seeds
• B. F2 seeds
• C. F3 seeds
• D. F4 seeds

Hint:

Seed coat (testa) is maternal tissue ($2n$), so phenotypic segregation appears one generation later on $F_2$ plants.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The seed coat (testa) is derived directly from the integuments of the maternal ovule ($2n$).

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Because the seed coat is purely maternal sporophytic tissue, its genotype and phenotype are identical to the maternal parent bearing the seed.
- On $F_1$ plants, all seeds develop within the maternal tissues of the $F_1$ plant, so all seed coats display the $F_1$ maternal phenotype uniformly.
- The $F_2$ plants (grown from $F_1$ seeds) segregate genetically ($1\,AA : 2\,Aa : 1\,aa$), and therefore visible phenotypic segregation of seed coat color is first observed in the seeds borne on $F_2$ plants ($F_2$ generation seeds $F_3$ embryos).

Step 3: Final Answer:
Hence, segregation for seed coat color will be visible first in F2 seeds.