Recessive
trait of an organism that can be masked by the dominant form of a trait
A recessive trait is a trait that requires both copies of a gene to be present in its recessive form in order to be expressed. This means that the dominant gene will mask the expression of the recessive gene, unless both copies of the gene are in the recessive form. For example, in humans, brown eyes are dominant over blue eyes. This means that if an individual inherits one copy of the gene for brown eyes and one copy of the gene for blue eyes, they will have brown eyes because the brown eye gene is dominant. However, if both copies of the gene for blue eyes are present, the individual will actually have blue eyes, since no dominant gene is present to mask the expression of the recessive gene.
Recessive traits may not be expressed in an individual’s phenotype (physical traits), but may still be present in their genotype (genetic makeup) and can be passed on to their offspring. Also, if two carriers of a recessive trait have children, there is a 25% chance that their child will inherit both copies of the recessive gene and exhibit the trait.
More Answers:
Understanding Genetic Makeup: Importance and Applications of Genetic Testing in Disease Diagnosis and TreatmentDiscover the Key Characteristics of Epithelial Tissue and Their Role in Animal Body Surfaces
Understanding the Four Types of Tissue and Their Functions in the Human Body