Recessive
Recessive
Recessive (/rɪˈsɛsɪv/), derived from the Latin word "recessus" meaning "withdrawal" or "retreat", is a term used in Genetics to describe one of the ways that a trait, disorder, or disease can be inherited.
In genetics, a recessive gene is one that can be masked by a dominant gene. To have a trait that is expressed by a recessive gene, such as blue eyes, you must get the gene for blue eyes from both of your parents.
Etymology
The term "recessive" was first used in genetics by Gregor Mendel, who is known as the father of modern genetics. The term comes from the Latin word "recessus", which means "withdrawal" or "retreat". This is because the traits caused by recessive genes often seem to withdraw or retreat when mixed with dominant genes.
Related Terms
- Dominant: A dominant gene is one that will always express itself if present. It can mask the presence of a recessive gene.
- Allele: An allele is a version of a gene. In terms of recessive and dominant, each person has two alleles for each gene - one from each parent.
- Homozygous: Homozygous is a term used to describe when an individual has two of the same allele, either dominant or recessive.
- Heterozygous: Heterozygous is a term used to describe when an individual has two different alleles - one dominant and one recessive.
- Genotype: The genotype is the set of genes an individual has. It includes both dominant and recessive genes.
- Phenotype: The phenotype is the physical expression of the genes. This includes traits that are expressed through recessive genes.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Recessive
- Wikipedia's article - Recessive
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