What determines a trait of an organism?

Question

Responses

its phenotype
its phenotype

the combination of its alleles
the combination of its alleles

the number of copies of the gene
the number of copies of the gene

the number of dominant alleles
the number of dominant alleles

Answer 1

The trait of an organism is primarily determined by the combination of its alleles. Alleles are different versions of a gene, and they can be dominant or recessive. The specific combination of alleles an organism inherits from its parents influences its phenotype, which is the observable expression of the trait. While the number of dominant alleles and the number of gene copies can play a role, it is the specific allelic combination that ultimately determines how a trait is expressed.