Question

which statement describes recessive alleles?
o two alleles that blend to create an intermediate phenotype
o any allele whose presence can be masked by another allele
o two alleles that are expressed separately and equally
o any allele that can hide the presence of a different allele

Explanation:

• Option 1: This describes incomplete dominance (alleles blend for intermediate phenotype), not recessive alleles.
• Option 2: Recessive alleles are masked by dominant alleles. For example, in pea plants, the allele for white flowers (\(p\)) is recessive. When a plant has \(Pp\) (dominant \(P\) - purple, recessive \(p\) - white), the white - flower phenotype is masked.
• Option 3: This is codominance (alleles expressed separately and equally, like \(AB\) blood type where \(A\) and \(B\) alleles are both expressed), not recessive alleles.
• Option 4: This describes a dominant allele (can hide another allele's presence), not a recessive allele.

Answer:

any allele whose presence can be masked by another allele