Question

If free ear lobes ( L ) are dominant over attached ear lobes ( l ) what is the phenotype of an individual with a genotype of l l ?

a. attached ear lobes
b. Free ear lobes
c. L L
d. One ear lobe attached, one ear lobe free

Answer 1

An individual with an ll genotype (recessive) for the ear lobe shape trait will have a phenotype of attached ear lobes (option a).

Step-by-step explanation:

The phenotypic expression of a recessive trait only occurs when both members of the allelic pair are recessive, while the presence of at least one dominant allele inhibits the expression of the recessive trait.

In this case, for the "ear lobe shape" trait, an individual with a genotype ll has a phenotype of attached ear lobes, which is recessive. In contrast, LL and Ll genotypes would express a free ear lobes phenotype.