The trait of an organism is primarily determined by the combinations of its alleles. Alleles are different forms of a gene, and the specific alleles inherited from the parents combine to determine the organism's genotype, which ultimately influences its phenotype—its observable characteristics.
While the number of dominant alleles and the number of copies of the gene can also play roles in influencing traits, it is the specific combinations of alleles that ultimately dictate the expression of a trait.
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