In a cross where contrasting traits are present in the parents, the offspring express only the dominant trait. This principle is called

• A. Law of Segregation
• B. Law of Independent Assortment
• C. Principle of Dominance
• D. Non-Mendelian inheritance

Answer: (C)

Dominant and recessive alleles determine how a trait appears when an organism has two different alleles. The dominant allele masks the recessive allele in a heterozygous individual. If both parents carry contrasting traits, they are typically heterozygous for that trait (one dominant, one recessive). Any offspring that inherits at least one dominant allele will display the dominant trait, so that trait appears in the phenotype. Only offspring that inherit two recessive alleles will show the recessive trait. This pattern describes why the dominant trait can be observed even when alleles come from either parent.