Understanding Codominance in Genetics

What is codominance in genetics?

In codominance, how are different alleles for a gene expressed?

Answer:

Codominance is a form of inheritance in which two different alleles for a gene are both expressed, and neither allele is dominant over the other. This means that both alleles contribute to the phenotype of the organism.

In codominance, the alleles for a specific gene are both expressed in the phenotype of an organism. Unlike in dominant-recessive inheritance, where one allele masks the expression of the other, codominant alleles are both fully expressed. This can result in unique phenotypic characteristics that showcase the influence of both alleles.

An example of codominance is seen in erminette chickens, where the alleles for black feathers and white feathers are codominant. If a homozygous white chicken (alleles for white feathers) and a homozygous black chicken (alleles for black feathers) mate, their offspring will exhibit a mixture of white feathers and black feathers, as both alleles are expressed without dominance.

Codominance plays a crucial role in genetic diversity and the expression of different traits in populations. By understanding how codominance works, researchers and breeders can predict the outcomes of genetic crosses and better comprehend the complexity of genetic inheritance.