**Offspring of Which Cross Will Be Genotypically and Phenotypically Similar?**

When discussing the offspring of a cross, it is important to understand the concepts of genotype and phenotype. Genotype refers to the genetic makeup of an individual, while phenotype describes the observable physical characteristics resulting from the interaction between genes and the environment.

To determine which cross will produce offspring that are both genotypically and phenotypically similar, we need to consider the genetic inheritance patterns and the traits being studied.

**Mendelian Inheritance**

Mendelian inheritance is a fundamental principle in genetics that describes how traits are passed on from parents to offspring. It is based on the concept of dominant and recessive alleles, which determine the expression of a particular trait.

**Homozygous Cross**

When two individuals with the same homozygous genotype (having two identical alleles for a specific trait) are crossed, their offspring will inherit the same alleles for that trait. This means that the offspring will be both genotypically and phenotypically similar to their parents.

For example, if two plants with homozygous dominant alleles (AA) for flower color (where A represents the dominant allele for a particular color) are crossed, their offspring will also have the genotype AA for flower color. Consequently, all the offspring will exhibit the same dominant phenotype for flower color, resembling their parents.

**Heterozygous Cross**

When two individuals with different genotypes (heterozygous) for a trait are crossed, their offspring will inherit a combination of alleles from both parents. This can lead to different genotypes and phenotypes in the offspring.

For example, if two plants with heterozygous genotypes for flower color (Aa) are crossed, their offspring can inherit three different genotypes: AA, Aa, or aa. This results in different phenotypes, with some offspring having the dominant phenotype (AA or Aa) and others having the recessive phenotype (aa). Therefore, the offspring of a heterozygous cross will not be genotypically or phenotypically similar.

**Conclusion**

In summary, the offspring of a homozygous cross will be both genotypically and phenotypically similar to their parents, as they inherit the same alleles for the trait being studied. On the other hand, the offspring of a heterozygous cross will exhibit different genotypes and phenotypes due to the combination of alleles inherited from both parents. Understanding the principles of Mendelian inheritance and considering the genotypes of the parents allows us to predict the genetic and physical characteristics of the offspring.

(a) Dd *Dd (b) DD*dd(c) DD*Dd(d) Ww*Ww