Differences Between Dominant And Recessive Traits

The main difference between dominant and recessive traits is that dominant traits are always expressed when present, even with just one copy of the dominant allele, while recessive traits are only expressed when both alleles are recessive.

Dominant vs. Recessive Traits

Here are the main differences between dominant and recessive traits:

Aspect	Dominant Traits	Recessive Traits
Definition	Traits that show up when present in the genes	Traits that show up only when there are two copies of the trait in the genes
Expression	Can be seen in individuals with one copy of the trait	Only seen in individuals with two copies of the trait
Inheritance	Passed on by a parent with the trait	Inherited from both parents who carry the trait
Alleles	Represented by uppercase letters (e.g., A)	Represented by lowercase letters (e.g., a)
Interaction	Masks recessive traits when present	Only expressed in the absence of the dominant trait
Punnett Square	Shown as dominant allele (A) or heterozygous (Aa)	Shown as recessive allele (a) or homozygous recessive (aa)
Examples	Brown eye color, attached earlobes	Blue eye color, freckles
Frequency	More common in the population	Less common in the population
Carriers	Both homozygous dominant and heterozygous individuals can carry the trait	Only heterozygous individuals can carry the trait
Genetic Disorders	Some genetic disorders are associated with dominant traits	Many genetic disorders are associated with recessive traits