f a rabbit breeder crossed a white rabbit and a black rabbit in a complete dominance pattern, then all of the offspring would be
either white or black in color. If the rabbits showed a pattern of incomplete dominance, breeding a white rabbit and a black rabbit together would produce all gray rabbits. Lastly, if the rabbits showed a pattern of codominance, then breeding a white rabbit and a black rabbit would produce rabbits with black and white spots. Using your knowledge of inheritance, explain how the genotypes produce different phenotypes in each inheritance pattern.
- Complete dominance: one allele masks the expression of the other gene variant or the phenotype is caused by the absence of gene function when both alleles are recessive.
- Incomplete dominance (codominance): both alleles are expressed and contribute to the phenotype
Explanation:
Complete dominance is a type of dominance by which one allele (dominant allele) completely masks the effects of another allele (recessive allele) in heterozygous individuals (i.e., individuals carrying two different gene variants or alleles). On the other hand, codominance refers to a type of incomplete dominance where both alleles in the genotype are observed in the phenotype. Complete dominance is caused when the recessive allele is not expressed, while if both alleles are expressed it is called incomplete dominance.
