Question

What are complementary genes? Does this inheritance pattern obey Mendel’s second law?

Answer 1

If two genes are working together to determine a particular phenotype, they are called, “complementary genes.” For example, in a dihybrid cross, if the first pair of alleles show a recessive and second pair of alleles show dominant interaction, intermediate phenotype results (means, neither recessive nor dominant phenotype).

The complementary genes can be located on different chromosomes, so they segregate independently of each other. Thus, the inheritance pattern of complementary genes follows the Mendel’s second law (but does not obey the 1^st law).