Dominant gene

Dominant gene is a type of gene that, when present in a pair of alleles, masks the effect of the other, recessive gene. It is a fundamental concept in the study of genetics and plays a crucial role in the inheritance of traits and diseases.

Overview

A dominant gene is one that determines the phenotype, or physical appearance, of an organism. When an individual has two different alleles for a gene, one dominant and one recessive, the dominant gene is the one that is expressed. This means that the trait or characteristic associated with the dominant gene will be the one that is visible in the organism.

Dominant genes can be inherited from either parent. If a child inherits a dominant gene from one parent and a recessive gene from the other, the child will display the trait associated with the dominant gene. This is known as Mendelian inheritance, after the scientist Gregor Mendel who first discovered the principles of heredity.

Dominant Diseases

Some genetic diseases are caused by dominant genes. These are known as dominant genetic disorders. Examples include Huntington's disease and Marfan syndrome. In these cases, an individual only needs to inherit one copy of the faulty gene to develop the disease.

Dominant vs Recessive

Dominant genes are not necessarily more common or "better" than recessive genes. The terms "dominant" and "recessive" simply refer to how the genes behave in relation to each other. A dominant gene is one that masks the effect of a recessive gene, but this does not mean that the trait associated with the dominant gene is more beneficial or desirable.

See Also

• Genetics
• Allele
• Mendelian inheritance
• Dominant genetic disorders

References

Dominant gene Resources
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