Recessive

Relating to a gene or trait that is masked by a dominant allele and expressed only when two recessive alleles are present.

adjective

Recessive

Relating to a gene or trait that is masked by a dominant allele and expressed only when two recessive alleles are present.

adjective

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Imagine This

Imagine two color genes in a pea plant. The dominant allele produces a bold color, while the recessive allele yields a pale color. If the plant has one bold and one pale allele, the bold color shows. Only when the plant has two pale alleles does the pale color appear.

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Sounds Like

ri-SESS-iv

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Looks Like

Looks like recess + ive; visually resembles the word recess

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Remember This

Recessive traits can skip generations because an individual can carry a recessive allele without expressing it if a dominant allele is present.

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Other Forms

recessivenessnoun

recessivelyadverb

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Connect With

dominant, carrier, homozygous, heterozygous, allele, phenotype, genotype

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Note

In genetics, recessive does not mean weaker or less important. It simply means the trait is masked by a dominant allele unless two recessive copies are present. Also distinguish recessive from recessive interactions in non-genetic contexts.