What is a Recessive Trait?
A recessive trait is a trait caused by a recessive gene, which means that someone must inherit two copies of the gene for the trait to manifest. By contrast, a dominant trait only requires one copy of the gene. The concept of dominant and recessive traits in genetics was put forward by Gregor Mendel, a 19th century scientist who is often regarded as the father of genetics, thanks to his extensive work in the field. When organisms such as humans reproduce, they produce young with a genetic inheritance from both parents, caused by the fusing of haploid sperm with haploid eggs to create a diploid organism. In the case of humans, genetic material is encoded in 46 chromosomes, with 23 coming from each parent. Each chromosome contains a series of alleles or genes which code various information, from the color of the child’s eyes to the way in which the feet develop. When the alleles from both parents are the same, someone is said to be homozygous at that allele. If a child inherits two diffe
