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Why do some humans have blonde hair, while others have darker hair?

OA. differences in alleles
OB.
O C.
O D.
Hair color is a common mutation.
lack of proteins in lighter hair
natural selection

1 Answer

1 vote

Final answer:

Blonde hair and darker hair in humans result from differences in alleles and the inheritance of specific combinations of those alleles. The gene responsible for hair color has two alleles, one for darker hair and one for lighter hair. This variation in hair color is due to these different combinations of alleles.


Step-by-step explanation:

Blonde hair and darker hair in humans result from differences in alleles. The gene responsible for hair color has two alleles, one for darker hair and one for lighter hair. The allele combination inherited from an individual's parents determines their hair color.

For example, let's say the allele for darker hair (represented as D) is dominant, and the allele for lighter hair (represented as d) is recessive. If both parents have dark hair, they can either be homozygous dominant (DD) or heterozygous (Dd). If both parents are homozygous dominant, their child will have dark hair (DD). If both parents are heterozygous, their child has a 25% chance of inheriting two dominant alleles (DD) and a 75% chance of inheriting one dominant and one recessive allele (Dd). Hence, the child has a chance of having darker hair or carrying the recessive allele for lighter hair.

This variation in hair color is therefore due to the inheritance of different combinations of alleles, resulting in some individuals having blonde hair and others having darker hair.


Learn more about Hair color variation in humans

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