Understanding Dominant and Recessive Traits
When we talk about how traits are passed down in families, we often think of dominant and recessive traits. A scientist named Gregor Mendel helped us understand this by studying pea plants.
What Are Dominant Traits?
Dominant traits are those that show up even if only one parent gives that trait.
For example, if we say "T" means tall plants and "t" means short plants, then a plant that has at least one "T" (like TT or Tt) will be tall.
What Are Recessive Traits?
Recessive traits are a bit different. They only appear when both parents give the same trait.
For instance, for a plant to be short, it needs to have "tt." This means both parents had to pass down the "t" trait.
Using Punnett Squares
By learning about these basic ideas, you can start to understand how traits are passed from parents to their children over time!
Understanding Dominant and Recessive Traits
When we talk about how traits are passed down in families, we often think of dominant and recessive traits. A scientist named Gregor Mendel helped us understand this by studying pea plants.
What Are Dominant Traits?
Dominant traits are those that show up even if only one parent gives that trait.
For example, if we say "T" means tall plants and "t" means short plants, then a plant that has at least one "T" (like TT or Tt) will be tall.
What Are Recessive Traits?
Recessive traits are a bit different. They only appear when both parents give the same trait.
For instance, for a plant to be short, it needs to have "tt." This means both parents had to pass down the "t" trait.
Using Punnett Squares
By learning about these basic ideas, you can start to understand how traits are passed from parents to their children over time!