Answer:
Option A, Traits can be dominant or recessive, and the recessive traits were "hidden" by the dominant ones in the F1.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mendel concluded from his study that traits can be of two types one dominant and the other one recessive.
A recessive trait is one which will only express phenotypically when there are two recessive alleles in pair.
hence, during F1 generation recessive traits were hidden by dominant ones in the F1 to reappear in the F2 generation in the ration of 3:1
For example -
"R" represents allele for dominant red color of flower and "r" represents allele for recessive white color of flower.
Thus when two parents flower with homozygous genotype for both the traits is crossed, then following offspring are produced in the F1 generation -
RR * rr
Rr, Rr, Rr, Rr
Thus all progeny's are heterozygous red and white color disapears
but in F2 generation, two parents from F1 generations are crossed there by producing following offspring -
Rr * Rr
RR, Rr, Rr, rr
red: white
3:1
Hence, option A is correct.