What is a punnett square used for?

A Punnett square is a diagram used in genetics to predict the outcome of a particular cross or breeding experiment. Specifically, it shows all possible combinations of alleles from two parent organisms and helps to determine the probability of offspring inheriting specific traits. By laying out the alleles of one parent along the top of a grid and the alleles of the other parent along the side, you can fill in the squares to visualize the potential genetic outcomes of their offspring. This tool is fundamental in understanding Mendelian inheritance and is widely utilized in genetics to predict the genetic makeup of offspring for specific traits based on parental genotypes.