Maddox and Macy both carry alleles for brown hair. Their 4-year-old son, Drake, also has brown hair. Therefore, for the trait of brown hair, Drake is considered ______.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Drake is considered homozygous for brown hair because he inherited alleles for brown hair from both Maddox and Macy, meaning he has two copies of the same allele. If he had inherited one allele for brown hair and one for a different hair color, he would be heterozygous for the trait. Imprinting refers to the process of certain genes being silenced or activated depending on which parent they were inherited from, and is not relevant in this scenario. Recessive refers to a trait that requires two copies of a specific allele to be expressed, but since Drake has brown hair, the trait is not recessive in him.

Maddox and Macy Both Carry Alleles for Brown Hair