Guidelines for preparing Corn Genetics Lab Report Due on the day given in the calendar (50 pts)
Lab reports are prepared by individual students. Although the lab work is performed in groups,
reports are prepared individually. Lab partners share nothing more than their data.
Do not email lab reports or turn into Bb, I need a hard copy to read. Use double spacing and font
size 12.
1. Title information
Names of group members
Genetics 203
Mendelian Genetics of Corn Seedlings and Corn Ears
Date
2. Lab Report must have the following outline. Headings should be in bold and justified to
the left preceding each section and subsection
Introduction (10 pts)
Discuss the reproduction and genetics of corn plant in general and explain how corn ears
are produced.
Discuss why corn is suitable to be used in genetics lab classes like ours.
Discuss what is meant by Mendelian inhertiance. Include his two laws.
Explain the specific traits you have studied. Include information on specific genes and their
gene products. Discuss how Mendelian ratios could be modified under epistasis.
Explain what a Chi-square test is and why it is used in genetics. (no need to give the
equation or the method)
Give references to specific information
Purpose (4 pts)
Write the purpose of this lab in past tense. There should be several parts to the purpose.
Hypotheses (4 pts)
Explain in general terms what you expect to see in experiments in present tense. Be sure to
include both monohybrid and dihybrid ratios here (The Ho for the chi-square tests are
given in the results section along with the tables, no need to write those here)
Methods & Materials (4 pts)
Corn seedlings:
Equipment & Materials List all the equipment you used as well as materials.
Procedure Write in paragraph form exactly what you did in order to do the experiment.
Use past tense and passive voice (no, “I” or “we” in the sentences)
Corn ears:
Equipment & Materials List all the equipment you used as well as materials.
Procedure Write in paragraph form exactly what you did in order to do the experiment.
Use past tense and passive voice (no, “I” or “we” in the sentences)
Results (21 pts)
Use class totals for all chi-square analyses. Expected values could be in decimals. Use at least 2
decimal places and align decimal places in all tables.
Give Ho at the top of the table and df and P values in the table or at the bottom of the table. Also
write if Ho is rejected or not just below the table.
Genetics of Corn Seedlings:
Monohybrid cross:
A) Table 1 : Chi-Square Test for corn seedling height
B) Table 2 : Chi-Square Test for corn seedling color
Dihybrid cross:
AB) Table 3 : Chi-Square Test for Dihybrid data of above
Genetics of Corn ears:
Monohybrid cross:
C) Table 4 : Chi-Square Test for corn kernel color
D) Table 5 : Chi-Square Test for corn kernel sweetness
Dihybrid cross:
CD) Table 6 : Chi-Square Test Results for Dihybrid of above
Epistasis:
E) Include results from the corn ear that had a modified ratio.
Count the purple and white kernels of this cob. Kernels with a hint of pink
should be counted as purple. Test this for possible epistasis ratios (search until
Ho fails to be rejected).
Discussion (4 pts)
Interpret your results. Do these crosses follow the Mendelian laws? Write which traits are
controlled by single Mendelian genes. Which traits appear not to be. If Ho is rejected for a certain
trait, provide reasons as to why ratios deviated from the expected. If Ho is not rejected, explain the
mode of inheritance
In this section use names of traits and not the names of the crosses. i.e., do not write monohybrid
A, instead write corn seedling height.
Explain the mode of inheritance for the corn ear with modified ratio.
Conclusion (2 pts)
State your conclusions on how the four traits of corn are inherited. Which traits behaved as
predicted by Mendelian genetics? Which ones did not?
Also, in general terms, tell what you have learned from this lab.
References (1 pt)
Include information on any reference used in the introduction part. You may use the MLT format.