Traits controlled by many genes, and their bell-shaped spread
Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.
Ari reads a bar graph of bean seed masses. How many seeds have a mass of 430 mg?
- 22 seeds
- 17 seeds
- 9 seeds
- 3 seeds
Bo reads a bar graph for a second lot of bean seeds. Which mass has the most seeds?
Bean seed mass in a second lot, 80 seeds rounded to the nearest 10 mg (model data). Comparison chart, columns: Mass (mg) | Seeds. Row 1: 500 | 2. Row 2: 510 | 7. Row 3: 520 | 15. Row 4: 530 | 24. Row 5: 540 | 19. Row 6: 550 | 10. Row 7: 560 | 3. Bar graph: x axis Mass (mg); y axis Seeds, ticks every 5 from 0 to 25. Bars: 500 2; 510 7; 520 15; 530 24; 540 19; 550 10; 560 3. Bean seed mass in a second lot, 80 seeds rounded to the nearest 10 mg (model data). Comparison chart, columns: Mass (mg) | Seeds. Row 1: 500 | 2. Row 2: 510 | 7. Row 3: 520 | 15. Row 4: 530 | 24. Row 5: 540 | 19. Row 6: 550 | 10. Row 7: 560 | 3. Bar graph: x axis Mass (mg); y axis Seeds, ticks every 5 from 0 to 25. Bars: 500 2; 510 7; 520 15; 530 24; 540 19; 550 10; 560 3. Comparison chart Bean seed mass in a second lot, 80 seeds rounded to the nearest 10 mg (model data). Mass (mg) Seeds Row 1: 500 2 Row 2: 510 7 Row 3: 520 15 Row 4: 530 24 Row 5: 540 19 Row 6: 550 10 Row 7: 560 3 Bar graph 0 5 10 15 20 25 2 500 7 510 15 520 24 530 19 540 10 550 3 560 Mass (mg) Seeds - 24 seeds, the height of the tallest bar
- 500 mg, the lightest class
- 540 mg
- 530 mg
Esme adds two bars of the bean seed graph. How many seeds weigh 390 mg or 400 mg together?
Bean seed mass, 80 seeds rounded to the nearest 10 mg (model data). Comparison chart, columns: Mass (mg) | Seeds. Row 1: 380 | 3. Row 2: 390 | 9. Row 3: 400 | 17. Row 4: 410 | 22. Row 5: 420 | 17. Row 6: 430 | 9. Row 7: 440 | 3. Bar graph: x axis Mass (mg); y axis Seeds, ticks every 5 from 0 to 25. Bars: 380 3; 390 9; 400 17; 410 22; 420 17; 430 9; 440 3. Bean seed mass, 80 seeds rounded to the nearest 10 mg (model data). Comparison chart, columns: Mass (mg) | Seeds. Row 1: 380 | 3. Row 2: 390 | 9. Row 3: 400 | 17. Row 4: 410 | 22. Row 5: 420 | 17. Row 6: 430 | 9. Row 7: 440 | 3. Bar graph: x axis Mass (mg); y axis Seeds, ticks every 5 from 0 to 25. Bars: 380 3; 390 9; 400 17; 410 22; 420 17; 430 9; 440 3. Bean seed mass, 80 seeds rounded to the nearest 10 mg (model data) Mass (mg) Seeds 380 3 390 9 400 17 410 22 420 17 430 9 440 3 Row 1 Row 2 Row 3 Row 4 Row 5 Row 6 Row 7 Bar graph 0 5 10 15 20 25 3 380 9 390 17 400 22 410 17 420 9 430 3 440 Mass (mg) Seeds - 12 seeds
- 48 seeds
- 26 seeds
- 17 seeds
Punnett square, 4 by 4, for a model wheat kernel color (model data). Gene A and gene B each have a dark allele (capital letter) and a light allele (small letter). Each dark allele adds 1 unit of color and each light allele adds 0 units. Top parent passes on: AB, Ab, aB, ab. Side parent passes on: AB, Ab, aB, ab. Row 1 (side AB): AABB, AABb, AaBB, AaBb. Row 2 (side Ab): AABb, AAbb, AaBb, Aabb. Row 3 (side aB): AaBB, AaBb, aaBB, aaBb. Row 4 (side ab): AaBb, Aabb, aaBb, aabb. Punnett square, 4 by 4, for a model wheat kernel color (model data). Gene A and gene B each have a dark allele (capital letter) and a light allele (small letter). Each dark allele adds 1 unit of color and each light allele adds 0 units. Top parent passes on: AB, Ab, aB, ab. Side parent passes on: AB, Ab, aB, ab. Row 1 (side AB): AABB, AABb, AaBB, AaBb. Row 2 (side Ab): AABb, AAbb, AaBb, Aabb. Row 3 (side aB): AaBB, AaBb, aaBB, aaBb. Row 4 (side ab): AaBb, Aabb, aaBb, aabb. Model wheat kernel color: 4 by 4 Punnett square Top parent AB Top parent Ab Top parent aB Top parent ab Row 1: Side parent AB AABB AABb AaBB AaBb Row 2: Side parent Ab AABb AAbb AaBb Aabb Row 3: Side parent aB AaBB AaBb aaBB aaBb Row 4: Side parent ab AaBb Aabb aaBb aabb Gene A and gene B: capital letter is a dark allele (1 unit); small letter is a light allele (0 units). Jun reads the filled square for a model wheat cross, AaBb × AaBb. How many of the 16 boxes hold exactly 2 dark alleles?
- 4 boxes
- 8 boxes
- 6 boxes
- 1 box, like a corner box
Kira reads the same square. How many of the 16 boxes hold exactly 4 dark alleles?
Use the picture in question 4.
- 16 boxes
- 4 boxes
- 6 boxes
- 1 box
Luz reads the same square again. How many of the 16 boxes hold exactly 1 dark allele?
Use the picture in question 4.
- 6 boxes
- 2 boxes, one for each genotype
- 1 box, like the corner boxes
- 4 boxes
Read this first
Wheat kernel color, 64 equally likely offspring (model data)
dark alleles offspring 0 1 1 6 2 15 3 ? 4 15 5 6 6 1 Noah reads a count table for a model wheat cross with 3 genes. What number goes in the blank?
- 30 offspring
- 1 offspring
- 20 offspring
- 15 offspring
Pia reads a second count table for the model wheat cross with 3 genes. What number goes in the blank?
- 1 offspring
- 6 offspring
- 20 offspring
- 15 offspring
Trait card (model data)
trait genes kernel colors wheat kernel color 3 7 Ren reads a trait card for wheat kernel color. Which choice explains why this trait is called polygenic?
- One gene alone sets the kernel color
- Three genes each add to the kernel color
- The soil alone decides the kernel color
- The kernel color blends two parents' colors
Use this
Counts of offspring by dark alleles (model data). Columns: dark alleles | table P (of 4) | table Q (of 16). Row 1: 0 | 1 | 1. Row 2: 1 | 2 | 4. Row 3: 2 | 1 | 6. Row 4: 3 | - | 4. Row 5: 4 | - | 1.
Zee compares two count tables. One comes from a cross with 1 gene and one from a cross with 2 genes. Which choice names the 2-gene table?
- Table P, since a trait is controlled by one gene
- Table P, since 3 classes are enough for 2 genes
- Table Q, since 16 offspring means 16 classes
- Table Q, since 5 classes need 2 genes