Q.Define the term: Heterozygous

A recessive allele/trait is one whose phenotypic expression is masked in a heterozygote by the presence of a dominant allele, and which is expressed only when present in the homozygous (recessive) condition.

A recessive trait shows up only when both alleles at a locus are of that (non-dominant) type.

In a diploid organism carrying two alleles of a gene, if the two alleles differ (heterozygous condition), only one of them — the dominant allele — determines the phenotype, while the effect of the other, the recessive allele, remains hidden/unexpressed. A recessive trait is therefore only visible in the phenotype when an individual is homozygous for the recessive allele ( …