what is the difference between incomplete dominance and codominance?
What is the difference between incomplete dominance and codominance?
Answer:
In genetics, both incomplete dominance and codominance are patterns of inheritance that involve the interaction of alleles. Here is a detailed explanation of the differences between incomplete dominance and codominance:
Incomplete Dominance:
Incomplete dominance occurs when the phenotype of a heterozygous individual is an intermediate phenotype between the phenotypes of the two homozygous parents. In this case, neither allele is completely dominant over the other. An example of incomplete dominance is when a red flower (RR) crossed with a white flower (WW) results in pink flowers (RW).
Codominance:
Codominance occurs when both alleles in a heterozygous individual are fully expressed. This means that both alleles contribute to the phenotype separately and equally without any blending. An example of codominance is seen in the MN blood group where both M and N alleles are expressed, resulting in both M and N antigens on the surface of red blood cells.
In summary, the key difference between incomplete dominance and codominance is that incomplete dominance shows a blending of traits in the heterozygous individual, while codominance shows the simultaneous expression of both alleles without any blending.