Understanding Genotype, Phenotype, and Alleles in Genetics

Explanation:

1. What is an allele?

An allele is an alternative form of a gene. In diploid organisms, individuals inherit two alleles for a particular gene, one from each parent. These alleles can be dominant or recessive, and they play a crucial role in determining the traits or characteristics expressed by an organism.

2. What is the type of allele that only affects the phenotype in the homozygous condition?

The type of allele that only affects the phenotype in the homozygous condition is the recessive allele. This allele is expressed only when an individual carries two copies of the recessive allele (homozygous recessive).

3. If two individuals have a certain phenotype, does that mean they must have the same genotype?

No, two individuals with the same phenotype do not necessarily have the same genotype. Different genotypes can result in the same phenotype. For example, individuals with different genotypes (such as homozygous dominant and heterozygous) can exhibit the same trait.

4. If a tall, green plant is homozygous for each trait, what is its genotype and phenotype?

In this case, if we consider T as the tall allele and G as the green allele, the genotype of the plant would be TTGG (homozygous for both traits). Therefore, the phenotype of this plant would be tall and green, reflecting its genetic makeup.
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