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Glite Dictionary
recessive allele

recessive allele

6.6
A form of a gene that shows only when both copies are the same
  • noun
  • /rɪˈsɛsɪv əˈliːl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : alelo recesivo
  • When students were provided with the information that the frequency of recessive alleles in a population was 30% (q = 0.3), most calculated the correct frequency of dominant alleles as 70% (p + q = 1).
  • deleterious recessive allele

Examples

  • This allows recessive alleles to be passed on to future generations even though they are not expressed in the current one.

    Academic text (2017)

  • "Genetics is way more complicated than what you learned back in middle school; it's not just single genes with dominant and recessive alleles.

    Blog text (10)

  • As a consequence of consanguineous marriage, Darwin's children had an increased risk of suffering the effects of detrimental recessive alleles, which is a characteristic effect of inbreeding.

    Academic text (2010)

  • In humans, a recessive allele must be inherited from both parents to manifest a genetic disorder.

  • The child inherited a recessive allele for blue eyes from both of his parents, who both carried the gene.

  • If both parents are carriers of a recessive allele, there is a 25% chance their child will express that trait.

Synonyms

recessive gene
vsrecessive allele
  • Specialized
2 4.0

A part passed from parents that causes a feature only if two copies are present

refers to a specific variant of that unit rather than the whole unit
recessive
vsrecessive allele
  • Specialized
7.6

A version of a gene that only affects traits when two identical copies are present

requires identical copies rather than being masked by a dominant one

Antonyms

dominant allele
  • Specialized
5.0

A version of a gene that shows its trait even with a different version

How Dominant

dominant allele
  • Specialized
5.0
recessive allele
  • Specialized
6.6

Surface Forms

recessive allele singular
recessive alleles plural

Morphology

recessive + allele

The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'recessive' describes the property (expressed only in homozygotes or hidden by a dominant form) and 'allele' is a gene variant, so together they mean an allele with a recessive effect. This adjective+noun formation follows standard scientific naming patterns (and similar constructions exist cross-linguistically), so a learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Recessive allele may come from the idea of 'recede' meaning to move back, and allele meaning a gene version. A recessive trait 'steps back' and is hidden when a stronger 'dominant' allele is present, so it only shows when two recessive copies are together.