Ask A Scientist© Molecular Biology Archive

name         Maxim K.
status       other
age          20s

Question -   Dominant / recessive genes.
As the life forms are constantly changing, can recessive genes become
dominant over the other with the time?  Can dominant genes become
recessive?  Please, this is very important for me to know.
Thank you.
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You are misinterpreting what recessive and dominant mean.  A simple dominant
gene is typically one that makes a protein that is fully functional in
producing its product...say the gene for pigment; the dominant will produce
a lot of the pigment giving a dark color.  The recessive form of the gene
produces less or none of the product so as in the case of the pigment there
would be little pigment and a light color.  In the presence of a recessive
gene the dominant gene overpowers the recessive because the recessive gene
either produces a protein that in turn gives little or none of the final
product.



Peter Faletra Ph.D.
Office of Science
Department of Energy
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