Which description correctly matches the mode of inheritance?

Which description correctly matches the mode of inheritance?

• A. Complete dominance means one allele masks the other.
• B. Codominance means one allele masks the other completely.
• C. Incomplete dominance produces a phenotype that is a blend of the two parental traits.
• D. Codominance results in a trait that is a recessive phenotype only.

Answer: (C)

Understanding how different allele combinations express phenotypes in heterozygotes helps you distinguish patterns of inheritance. In incomplete dominance, a heterozygous individual shows an intermediate phenotype — a blend of the two parental traits. That’s why this description fits the pattern best: neither allele is fully dominant, and the result sits between the two extremes. By contrast, complete dominance describes a situation where the dominant allele masks the recessive in the heterozygote, so no blend appears. Codominance describes a case where both alleles are expressed fully and separately, so you see both traits rather than a blended one. The blended-phenotype description captures the hallmark of incomplete dominance.

Understanding how different allele combinations express phenotypes in heterozygotes helps you distinguish patterns of inheritance. In incomplete dominance, a heterozygous individual shows an intermediate phenotype — a blend of the two parental traits. That’s why this description fits the pattern best: neither allele is fully dominant, and the result sits between the two extremes. By contrast, complete dominance describes a situation where the dominant allele masks the recessive in the heterozygote, so no blend appears. Codominance describes a case where both alleles are expressed fully and separately, so you see both traits rather than a blended one. The blended-phenotype description captures the hallmark of incomplete dominance.