Which term describes a trait that covers over, or dominates, another form of that trait?

Which term describes a trait that covers over, or dominates, another form of that trait?

• A. Co-dominance
• B. Allele
• C. Dominant
• D. Incomplete dominance

Answer: (C)

The term that describes a trait that covers over, or dominates, another form of that trait is "dominant." In genetics, dominant alleles are those that express their trait even in the presence of a recessive allele. When an organism has at least one dominant allele for a particular trait, that dominant trait will be the one expressed in the phenotype. For example, in pea plants, if "T" represents a dominant allele for tall stems and "t" represents a recessive allele for short stems, a plant that has either "TT" or "Tt" will be tall, while only "tt" will express the short stem. This characteristic is an essential concept in Mendelian genetics, highlighting how certain alleles can mask the expression of others, thus ensuring the dominant trait is apparent in the organism's appearance. Co-dominance refers to a situation where both alleles in a heterozygous condition are fully expressed, leading to a phenotype that shows both traits simultaneously. Allele is the term used to describe the different forms of a gene, not specifically about dominance. Incomplete dominance occurs when the heterozygous phenotype is a blend between the two traits, rather than one trait dominating the other.

The term that describes a trait that covers over, or dominates, another form of that trait is "dominant." In genetics, dominant alleles are those that express their trait even in the presence of a recessive allele. When an organism has at least one dominant allele for a particular trait, that dominant trait will be the one expressed in the phenotype.

For example, in pea plants, if "T" represents a dominant allele for tall stems and "t" represents a recessive allele for short stems, a plant that has either "TT" or "Tt" will be tall, while only "tt" will express the short stem. This characteristic is an essential concept in Mendelian genetics, highlighting how certain alleles can mask the expression of others, thus ensuring the dominant trait is apparent in the organism's appearance.

Co-dominance refers to a situation where both alleles in a heterozygous condition are fully expressed, leading to a phenotype that shows both traits simultaneously. Allele is the term used to describe the different forms of a gene, not specifically about dominance. Incomplete dominance occurs when the heterozygous phenotype is a blend between the two traits, rather than one trait dominating the other.