Final answer:
A recessive gene expresses its trait only when both genes in a pair are recessive, adhering to Mendel's law of dominance.
Step-by-step explanation:
A recessive gene will express its trait only when both genes in a pair are recessive. This is because the expression of a gene's trait follows Mendel's law of dominance, which states that in the presence of a dominant allele, the recessive allele's trait will not be expressed in the phenotype. It will remain 'latent'. For instance, an individual that is heterozygous, having one dominant and one recessive allele, will display the dominant trait, while someone who is homozygous recessive, having two recessive alleles, will express the recessive trait.
The allele is considered recessive because it only manifests in the phenotype when it exists as a pair of recessive alleles in an individual. Therefore, the correct scenario for a recessive trait to be visible is when an organism is homozygous recessive, where there is no dominant allele to mask the expression of the recessive allele.