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Reciprocal cross

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025

Definition

A reciprocal cross is a breeding experiment designed to test the role of parental sex on a given trait. It involves two crosses where the sexes of the parents are reversed.

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5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

  1. Reciprocal crosses help determine if a trait is autosomal or sex-linked.
  2. Gregor Mendel used reciprocal crosses to study inheritance patterns in pea plants.
  3. If the results of reciprocal crosses are identical, the trait is likely autosomal.
  4. Differences in outcomes from reciprocal crosses can indicate sex linkage or maternal effects.
  5. Reciprocal crosses involve reversing the sexes of parents for two separate breeding experiments.

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