Two organisms can have different combinations of alleles for a gene, but still express the same dominant trait.
Here's why:
* Genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism, represented by the specific alleles it carries.
* Phenotype: The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism.
* Alleles: Alternative forms of a gene.
* Dominant Allele: An allele that masks the expression of a recessive allele when present.
Example:
Consider a trait like brown eyes. Let's say the allele for brown eyes (B) is dominant over the allele for blue eyes (b).
* Organism 1: Genotype BB (homozygous dominant) – Will have brown eyes.
* Organism 2: Genotype Bb (heterozygous) – Will also have brown eyes, even though it carries the recessive allele for blue eyes.
Both organisms have brown eyes (same phenotype), but their genetic makeup (genotype) is different. This is because the dominant brown eye allele (B) masks the expression of the recessive blue eye allele (b) in the heterozygous organism.
