Is it possible for you to receive a dominant gene despite your parents both showing recessive genes?

Question

For instance freckles.

Is it possible for you to have freckles(the dominant gene) if your parents don't have freckles(the recessive gene)?

Answer 1

No, it is not possible to have a dominant gene if your parents have two recessive traits. For you to have freckles, you would have to be either FF or Ff, that is, either homozygous or heterozygous for the freckle allele (F). If your parents do not have freckles, then they are both ff. There are no freckle alleles for you to inherit. The chances are, one of your parents has freckles, but they are not prominent.

Answer 2

Hi! :) I'm not familiar with the genetics of freckles, but in general, the ONLY way for a person to possess a recessive trait is to inherit TWO copies of the recessive gene for it. So the short answer to your question would be NO.

For example, if you have blue eyes (a recessive trait), that means you inherited one copy of the recessive gene from each of your two parents. Hence, BOTH of the genes that code for your eye color are recessive.

Later, if you marry someone who also has blue eyes, your spouse also carries two recessive copies of the eye color gene. That means that the ONLY gene either of you can pass on to your future son or daughter, is a RECESSIVE COPY. You simply do not possess any copies of dark-eyed genes, so there's no way you can pass one on to your child. Hence, your child can ONLY have blue eyes (well, or maybe gray or green, due to "modifier genes"). But there is NO WAY your child could have brown or black eyes, because neither you nor your spouse possess ANY copies of the dominant gene that codes for dark eye color.

Do a Google search for "Punnett square" and you'll likely find a diagram of this concept that does a much clearer job illustrating this concept. :) In fact, that's how I first learned about the expression of dominant and recessive traits -- by making Punnett squares in high school!

Answer 3

Yes it is. If one or both of your parents is homozygenous for that trait, but doesn't show it, you can still express that trait. For example: your dad has no freckles but he has the dominant gene for them(F) your mom doesn't even have to carry the gene for freckles, but if she does this will just give the offspring(you and your siblings) a greater chance of having freckles. All you have to do is make a simple Punnet square. In your case the dominant gene in one of your parents could be masked by another. (I forgot the word for it, but it's similar to codominance)

Answer 4

it is NOT possible for you to have a dominant gene if your parents have only recessive genes. In order to show a recessive gene you must have both copies of the recessive gene. So if both parent have Only recessive genes, where would you get the dominant gene? You cant.

Just an interesting fact: It is impossble for two blue-eyed people (recessive) to have a brown-eyed (dominant) child.
:-)

Answer 5

No it is not possible. If you have a dominant characteristic, one of your parents MUST have the dominant allele to pass to you eg chin dimple, brown eyes, tongue rolling.

However in contrast you can have a recessive characteristic and neither parent will show it (ie they CARRY one allele each, but if you get 2 copies (1 from each parent) you will SHOW phenotypically that characteristic) eg you have blue eyes and both parents are brown eyed.
For freckles there may be other genes involved. Neither of my parents seemed to have any freckles, yet I still get the little stinkers! My fair skin may be a factor or I have got them worse than either of my parents (ie neither parent show the chracter MUCH, but its still there and have passed the gene to me and I get them much worse).
Hope it helps

Answer 6

Yes! Because if your mother and father both carry the recesive gene for freckles , then you would have a 1 in 4 chance of getting it. So...lucky you!

Answer 7

Yes. Because your parents might have the gene for freckles even though they don't show it since it is recessive.