The reason recessive alleles can be carried without being seen is that:
AOne normal allele masks the other
BRecessive alleles are always deleted
CRecessive alleles cannot be inherited
DEvery carrier shows a mild version
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. One normal allele masks the other
1. An individual without a disorder must have at least one normal allele.
2. That is why such a person's genotype gets an A question mark designation in a pedigree.
3. Therefore, recessive alleles can be carried and not expressed by individuals.
4. The allele is not lost: it reappears in later generations when two carriers meet.
5. Mendel saw the same thing when the green pod allele returned in the F2.
_Source: OpenStax Biology for AP(R) Courses (CC BY 4.0), Ch 12 'Mendel's Experiments and Heredity', sections 12.1-12.3_
Keep practising Mendel's Experiments and Heredity
Browse all Mendel's Experiments and Heredity questions for AP Biology, or explore more Biology topics.
Related questions
Which one does not belong?Complete the monohybrid resultTrue or false: Mendel's peasDo the Mendel arithmeticSort each genotypeMatch each genetics term to its meaningMendel deduced that each parent in a monohybrid cross contributes:Mendel's 1865 publication reported crosses involving how many characteristics?