Polar overdominance

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/polar-overdominance

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the genotypic expression?Phenotype of AA and Aa genotypes are indistinguishable
2. What is the molecular basis?Often involves a functional dominant allele producing a necessary protein product
3. How does a dominant allele make a trait appear?The dominant allele makes a working protein or enzyme, and just one copy is enough for the trait to show.
4. Why do the AA and Aa plants look the same?Because the dominant allele is so strong that having two copies or just one copy gives the same appearance.

Locus: The specific physical location of a gene on a chromosome.
Genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism, represented by allele combinations (e.g., AA, Aa, aa).
Phenotype: The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism.