______________ means that neither gene in a gene pair (genotype) masks the other. As a result, the traits carried by the 2 genes appear to be blended.
Incomplete Dominance
The term you are referring to is known as incomplete dominance. In incomplete dominance, both alleles of a gene pair are expressed, and the resulting phenotype is a blend of the two traits.
To understand this concept further, it helps to know some basics about genetics. Each gene in an individual is present in two copies, known as alleles. These alleles may be the same (homozygous) or different (heterozygous). In the case of incomplete dominance, neither allele completely masks the other, so the phenotype is a combination of the traits associated with each allele.
To determine the phenotypic outcome of incomplete dominance, you need to know the alleles involved and how they interact. For example, let's consider a scenario involving flower color in a plant species. Suppose the red allele (R) and the white allele (W) are involved in determining flower color, and they exhibit incomplete dominance.
If an individual carries two red alleles (RR), it will have red flowers. If it carries two white alleles (WW), it will have white flowers. However, if it is heterozygous with one red allele and one white allele (RW), the resulting phenotype will be different. In this case, the flowers may appear pink or a lighter shade of red, showing the blending of the red and white traits.
So, incomplete dominance means that neither allele fully dominates or masks the other, resulting in a blended phenotype when both alleles are present.