A monohybrid cross involves the fertilization between two organisms that are heterozygous for a single gene, which is indicated by the prefix "mono," meaning one. In this context, each parent organism carries one dominant allele and one recessive allele for a specific trait, such as flower color, represented as Y (dominant) and y (recessive).

To visualize the genetic outcomes of a monohybrid cross, a Punnett square is utilized. In this square, the gametes from each parent are arranged along the top and side. For example, if both parents are heterozygous, their gametes will be Y and y. When the Punnett square is filled out, the potential genotypes of the offspring can be determined:

• Top left: Homozygous dominant (YY)
• Top right: Heterozygous (Yy)
• Bottom left: Heterozygous (Yy)
• Bottom right: Homozygous recessive (yy)

This results in a phenotypic ratio of 3:1 for dominant to recessive traits among the offspring, illustrating the basic principles of inheritance as described by Mendelian genetics. Understanding monohybrid crosses is fundamental for exploring more complex genetic interactions in future studies.