Final answer:
The classification of traits as dominant or recessive is based on whether the trait is expressed in offspring. Dominant traits are inherited unchanged, while recessive traits become latent or disappear. Examples include violet and white flower color in pea plants.
Step-by-step explanation:
In genetics, the classification of traits as dominant or recessive is based on the observation that some traits are expressed in offspring, while others are not. Dominant traits are those that are inherited unchanged in a hybridization, meaning that if an individual receives a dominant allele for a trait from one parent, that trait will be expressed in the offspring. Recessive traits, on the other hand, become latent or disappear in the offspring and are only expressed if an individual receives two recessive alleles for that trait, one from each parent.
For example, consider flower color in pea plants. If a pea plant inherits a dominant allele for violet flower color from one parent and a recessive allele for white flower color from the other parent, it will have violet flowers because the dominant allele is expressed. However, if it inherits recessive alleles for white flower color from both parents, it will have white flowers because the recessive trait is expressed.
This classification of traits as dominant or recessive is important in understanding how traits are passed on from parents to offspring and how genetic diversity is maintained within a population.