Science Common Sense
1441 - How does the expression of biological traits change in proportion?
Imagine you have a plant, and you want to know how tall or short it will be depending on its genes. The expression of biological traits refers to how your genes (DNA) decide what you look like or how you are.
Some traits are controlled by two genes, one from each parent. There are three main ways these genes can work together to decide how a trait is expressed:
- Dominant: One gene is stronger, and it decides the trait (like tall or short). The other gene (weaker) is hidden.
- Recessive: The weaker gene decides the trait only if both genes are weak.
- Blended: The two genes mix together to create a unique trait (like a mix of tall and short).
Think of it like baking a cake. If you add strong flavor (dominant gene) and weak flavor (recessive gene), the strong flavor will dominate. But if you mix together two different flavors, you get a new taste (blended gene).