Question

If an individual possesses two recessive alleles for the same trait, the individual is said to be _______________.

A) Homozygous dominant
B) Heterozygous
C) Homozygous recessive
D) Phenotypically variable

Answer 1

An individual with two recessive alleles for a trait is referred to as homozygous recessive, and this condition is necessary for a recessive trait to be expressed phenotypically.

Step-by-step explanation:

If an individual possesses two recessive alleles for the same trait, the individual is said to be homozygous recessive. A recessive trait will only be expressed phenotypically when an organism has two identical alleles that are recessive for a given gene, meaning it is homozygous for the gene. This contrasts with a dominant trait, which will be expressed in both homozygous dominant individuals (with two dominant alleles) and heterozygous individuals (with one dominant and one recessive allele).