Dominant and recessive

You: ‘the correct terms here are dominant and recessive.’ 

Dr. Foster: ‘That answer is on the right track. A dominant trait does indeed appear in the phenotype, while a recessive trait stays hidden whenever paired with a dominant allele. However, let’s figure out why we can see that dominant trait so clearly. What term do we assign to the actual visible feature, and why might a dominant allele mask the recessive one in our fruit flies? Think about your coursework and everything we’ve discussed in the lab so far. Which concept explains how these features arise and become observable in an organism?’

Alice: “I see... So you’re asking about the name of an individual’s visible characteristics, and also the biological reason behind a dominant allele overshadowing a recessive one. Let me revisit the key genetics terms we’ve learned in class... I think I have an idea of what you mean.’

What is the terminology called for an observable characteristic on an individual? Why can we observe this characteristic?