Which statement best describes incomplete dominance?

Which statement best describes incomplete dominance?

• A. An environment determines the phenotype
• B. One allele completely masks the other
• C. Both genes are expressed resulting in a mixture of the two
• D. Traits are inherited independently of each other

Answer: (C)

Incomplete dominance occurs when neither allele is fully dominant, so the heterozygous individual shows a blend of the two parent phenotypes. The statement that both genes are expressed resulting in a mixture of the two captures this idea because it describes an intermediate phenotype rather than one trait completely masking the other. For example, crossing red-flowered plants with white-flowered plants can produce pink offspring, illustrating the intermediate expression. This differs from complete dominance, where one allele hides the other, and from independence of inheritance, which concerns how different genes segregate. It’s also not about the environment changing how genes are expressed.

Incomplete dominance occurs when neither allele is fully dominant, so the heterozygous individual shows a blend of the two parent phenotypes. The statement that both genes are expressed resulting in a mixture of the two captures this idea because it describes an intermediate phenotype rather than one trait completely masking the other. For example, crossing red-flowered plants with white-flowered plants can produce pink offspring, illustrating the intermediate expression. This differs from complete dominance, where one allele hides the other, and from independence of inheritance, which concerns how different genes segregate. It’s also not about the environment changing how genes are expressed.