What is the method called when an organism with a dominant phenotype is crossed with a recessive organism to determine the unknown genotype?

The method used when an organism with a dominant phenotype is crossed with a recessive organism to determine the unknown genotype is known as a test cross. This genetic technique allows scientists to figure out whether the dominant phenotype is expressed by a homozygous dominant genotype or a heterozygous genotype.

In a test cross, the offspring produced will provide clear evidence about the genotype of the individual with the dominant phenotype. If any offspring display the recessive phenotype, it indicates that the dominant phenotype parent must be heterozygous. If all offspring express the dominant phenotype, the dominant individual could be homozygous.

Other methods, such as back cross, hybridization, or gene mapping, serve different purposes in genetics. A back cross typically refers to crossing a hybrid organism back to one of its parents. Hybridization involves the breeding of organisms from different varieties or species to create hybrids, while gene mapping refers to determining the location of genes on a chromosome. Each of these techniques has its specific applications and does not serve the same purpose as the test cross.