Dominant Allele:
* Definition: A dominant allele is a version of a gene that will always express its trait, even if only one copy is present.
* How it works: Think of a dominant allele as "stronger" and able to "mask" the presence of a recessive allele.
* Example: Brown eyes are dominant over blue eyes. If you inherit one allele for brown eyes and one for blue eyes, you will have brown eyes.
Recessive Allele:
* Definition: A recessive allele is a version of a gene that only expresses its trait if two copies of it are present.
* How it works: Recessive alleles are "weaker" and only show their trait if there's no dominant allele present to "override" them.
* Example: Blue eyes are recessive. You'll only have blue eyes if you inherit two alleles for blue eyes, one from each parent.
Key Points:
* Gene Pairs: Every trait is controlled by two alleles, one from each parent.
* Genotype vs. Phenotype: Your genotype is your genetic makeup (the actual alleles you have), while your phenotype is the physical expression of those genes (what you actually look like).
* Heterozygous vs. Homozygous: You're heterozygous for a trait if you have one dominant and one recessive allele (like the brown-eyed person in our example). You're homozygous if you have two of the same allele (like the blue-eyed person).
Let me know if you'd like to explore any of these concepts further or want more examples!
