Genetics ‒ Crossing

All sexually reproducing organisms inherit traits from their parents, with these traits encoded in genes. Variants of a gene, which represent different forms of the same trait (e.g., flower color), are called alleles (e.g., white, red). There are two main allele types: dominant and recessive, which combine in various ways. The visible expression of these allele combinations in offspring is referred to as the phenotype. When two dominant or two recessive alleles combine, the result is often called codominance. However, if a dominant and a recessive allele are paired, the dominant trait typically prevails, a phenomenon known as incomplete dominance. This model demonstrates both single and dual trait combinations in peas, the plant on which Gregor Johann Mendel, the father of genetics, conducted his foundational experiments.