9. Which is the most likely explanation for a child exhibiting a heritable trait that neither parent exhibits?(1 point)

Question

Responses

The trait is recessive, and the child inherited a recessive allele from each parent.
The trait is recessive, and the child inherited a recessive allele from each parent.

A grandparent exhibits the trait, and the child inherited it directly from that person.
A grandparent exhibits the trait, and the child inherited it directly from that person.

A mutation occurred, and the child exhibits a new trait due to the mutation.
A mutation occurred, and the child exhibits a new trait due to the mutation.

The parents have recessive alleles, and the child inherited a dominant allele

Answer 1

The most likely explanation for a child exhibiting a heritable trait that neither parent exhibits is:

The trait is recessive, and the child inherited a recessive allele from each parent.

This means that both parents can be carriers of the recessive allele (have one copy of the recessive allele and one copy of the dominant allele), allowing the possibility for their child to inherit two copies of the recessive allele (one from each parent) and thus express the recessive trait.