Here's how it works:
* Genes: We inherit two copies of each gene, one from each parent.
* Alleles: Different versions of a gene are called alleles. Some alleles are dominant, while others are recessive.
* Dominant Trait: A dominant allele will express its trait even if only one copy is present.
* Recessive Trait: A recessive allele will only express its trait if two copies are present (one from each parent).
Example:
* Brown eyes (B) are dominant over blue eyes (b).
* If a person has one brown eye allele (B) and one blue eye allele (b), they will have brown eyes. This is because the brown eye allele is dominant and masks the blue eye allele.
* They will only have blue eyes if they inherit two blue eye alleles (bb).
So, a dominant trait can mask a recessive trait because the dominant allele's expression overrides the recessive allele's expression.
