Dominant alleles are so called because under most circumstances they ________.
A) code for genes that are never considered lethal
B) suppress the expression of other alleles
C) code for desired traits only
D) code for most phenotypic and genotypic expressions of a trait

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dominant alleles suppress the expression of other alleles, meaning that even if an individual has one dominant allele and one recessive allele, the dominant allele will be expressed in the phenotype. This is why they are called "dominant." It is not necessarily true that they code for desired traits only, nor that they code for most phenotypic and genotypic expressions of a trait. And while some dominant alleles may be lethal, this is not a characteristic that defines all dominant alleles.

Dominant Alleles Are So Called Because Under Most Circumstances They