1. What is a Punnett Square?

A Punnett square is a diagram that is used to predict the genotype and phenotype combinations of offspring from parental alleles. The 2x2 cube Punnett square is used for monohybrid crosses (single trait inheritance).

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the probability formula:

Where:

• \( P \) — Probability of target genotype (dimensionless)
• \( F \) — Number of favorable outcomes in the Punnett square (dimensionless)
• 4 — Total possible combinations in a 2x2 Punnett square

Explanation: The calculator generates all possible allele combinations from two parents and counts how many match the target genotype.

3. Understanding Genetic Probability

Details: Each parent contributes one allele for a trait. The probability calculation shows the chance of offspring inheriting a specific combination of these alleles.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter genotypes as two letters (e.g., Aa, BB). The calculator is case-insensitive and considers allele order (Aa = aA).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between genotype and phenotype?
A: Genotype is the genetic makeup (e.g., Aa), while phenotype is the physical expression (e.g., brown eyes).

Q2: How do I represent dominant and recessive alleles?
A: By convention, capital letters (A) represent dominant alleles and lowercase (a) represent recessive alleles.

Q3: What if I get a probability of 0?
A: This means the target genotype cannot be produced from the given parental genotypes.

Q4: Can this calculator handle multiple traits?
A: No, this is for single trait (monohybrid) crosses only. For multiple traits, you'd need a 4x4 square.

Q5: How accurate are Punnett square predictions?
A: They predict average probabilities over many offspring. Actual results may vary due to random chance in small samples.