In genetics, a reciprocal cross is a breeding experiment designed to test the role of parental sex on a given inheritance pattern. All parent organisms must be true breeding to properly carry out such an experiment. In one cross, a male expressing the trait of interest will be crossed with a female not expressing the trait. In the other, a female expressing the trait of interest will be crossed with a male not expressing the trait.
For example, suppose a biologist wished to identify whether a hypothetical allele Z, a variant of some gene A, is on the male or female sex chromosome. He might first cross a Z-trait female with an A-trait male and observe the offspring. Next, he would cross an A-trait female with a Z-trait male and observe the offspring. Via principles of dominant and recessive alleles, he could then (perhaps after cross-breeding the offspring as well) make an inference as to which sex chromosome contains the gene Z, if either in fact did.
Such types of experiments are unlikely to actually be carried out in the contemporary era of DNA sequencing and molecular genetics.
Read more about Reciprocal Cross: Reciprocal Cross in Practice
Famous quotes containing the words reciprocal and/or cross:
“Parenting is a profoundly reciprocal process: we, the shapers of our children’s lives, are also being shaped. As we struggle to be parents, we are forced to encounter ourselves; and if we are willing to look at what is happening between us and our children, we may learn how we came to be who we are.”
—Augustus Y. Napier (20th century)
“He is asleep. He knows no longer the fatigue of the work of deciding, the work to finish. He sleeps, he has no longer to strain, to force himself, to require of himself that which he cannot do. He no longer bears the cross of that interior life which proscribes rest, distraction, weaknesshe sleeps and thinks no longer, he has no more duties or chores, no, no, and I, old and tired, oh! I envy that he sleeps and will soon die.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)