Science PSSA Practice Test 2025 – Your Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

A genetic factor that can overshadow another genetic factor is known as a dominant trait. Dominant traits are characterized by their ability to express themselves in the phenotype even when only one copy of the allele is present. This means that if an individual inherits a dominant allele from one parent, the trait associated with that allele will be exhibited, regardless of whether the other allele is recessive.

In contrast, recessive traits require two copies of the recessive allele (one from each parent) to be expressed in the phenotype. Homologous traits refer to genes that are located on homologous chromosomes and are not specifically related to dominance or suppression of other traits. Autosomal traits describe characteristics that are determined by genes located on autosomes (non-sex chromosomes) but do not indicate dominance.

Understanding dominant and recessive traits is fundamental in genetics, as these interactions determine how traits are passed down through generations and expressed in organisms.