A biologist investigates reproduction in a species of small aquatic animal. Some offspring develop as buds from the body of one adult, without gametes. Other offspring develop when an egg from one adult is fertilised by sperm from another adult. No new mutations occur.
The biologist records the number of different inherited allele combinations in each group of offspring.
| Method of producing offspring | Number of different inherited allele combinations |
|---|---|
| Budding | 1 |
| Fertilisation | 14 |
Use the results to explain the difference in inherited variation between the two groups of offspring.
Predict whether any offspring produced by fertilisation would inherit an allele that was absent from both parents.
Justify your prediction.
96 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Biology 3.4 Variation and the Human Genome Project, covering 3.4.1 Causes of variation, 3.4.2 Outcomes of the Human Genome Project, 3.4.3 Genetic variation within a population, and 3.4.4 Effects of genetic mutations on phenotype. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.