Question

Wild type (W$^{+}$) allele in Drosophila shows ........... phenotype for eye colour.

• A. Blood
• B. Cherry
• C. Red eye
• D. Buff

Hint:

Remember: Wild type (W$^{+}$) = red eye in Drosophila. Mutation (w) = white eye.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Background on Drosophila eye colour.
Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) is a common subject in genetic studies concerning inheritance.
The wild-type allele, denoted as W$^{+}$, is the standard allele found in natural populations.
Step 2: Phenotype associated with the W$^{+}$ allele.
The W$^{+}$ allele is responsible for the red eye colour, which is recognized as the normal phenotype for fruit flies.
A white-eyed mutation (w) arises when the W$^{+}$ allele is missing or malfunctioning.
Step 3: Evaluation of potential answers.
- (A) Blood: Irrelevant to eye colour phenotype.
- (B) Cherry: Not the accurate genetic descriptor for the wild-type phenotype.
- (C) Red eye: Correct. This is the characteristic wild-type eye colour in Drosophila.
- (D) Buff: Represents an alternative mutation, not the wild-type.
Step 4: Determination.
Therefore, the W$^{+}$ allele in Drosophila expresses the red eye phenotype.