What is a trait?

• Traits are characteristics or features that can be passed from one generation to another
• What are some examples of traits in humans?

  Hair color, height, skin color
• What are some examples of traits in dogs?

  Tail length, ear shape, nose shape
• Alleles are different forms of the same trait
• What are the two types of genes in terms of expression?

  Dominant and recessive
• Each individual has two alleles for each gene, one from each parent.
• A dominant gene can be expressed even if only one copy of the gene is present
• What must an individual have to express a recessive trait?

  Two recessive alleles
• If purple flower color is dominant over white, an individual with two dominant alleles will have purple flowers.
• In summary, a trait is a feature that can be passed from one generation to the next