Test-cross (Noun)
Meaning
A cross between an organism whose genotype for a certain trait is unknown and an organism that is homozygous recessive for that trait so the unknown genotype can be determined from that of the offspring.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- To determine the unknown genotype of the red flower, a test-cross was performed by breeding it with the white flower, which is homozygous recessive for the color trait.
- The scientist conducted a test-cross to verify that the pea plant with purple flowers was indeed heterozygous for the flower color gene.
- A test-cross was used to identify the genotype of a mouse with a dominant coat color by breeding it with a mouse that was homozygous recessive for the coat color gene.
- By performing a test-cross with a homozygous recessive plant, the researcher was able to determine that the plant with the unknown genotype was heterozygous for the tall trait.
- The results of the test-cross revealed that the unknown genotype of the fruit fly was homozygous dominant for the eye color trait, resulting in all offspring having the same eye color as the parent.