Straight Hair Genotypes vs Curly Hair Genotypes

What are the possible genotypes for straight hair and curly hair?

The possible genotypes for straight hair, which is dominant to curly hair, are SS (homozygous dominant) and Ss (heterozygous). The possible genotype for curly hair is ss (homozygous recessive).

Understanding Genotypes for Hair Types

Straight Hair Phenotype: The possible genotypes for straight hair are SS (homozygous dominant) and Ss (heterozygous), where "S" represents the dominant allele for straight hair. An individual with at least one copy of the dominant allele will express straight hair.

Curly Hair Phenotype: The possible genotype for curly hair is ss (homozygous recessive), where "s" represents the recessive allele for curly hair. To have curly hair, an individual must have two copies of the recessive allele.

Determining Genotypes

1. Straight Hair Phenotype: As straight hair is dominant, individuals with genotypes SS (homozygous dominant) or Ss (heterozygous) will have straight hair.

2. Curly Hair Phenotype: Curly hair is recessive, so individuals must have the genotype ss (homozygous recessive) to express curly hair.

To summarize, individuals with genotypes SS or Ss will have straight hair, while those with genotype ss will have curly hair. Understanding the relationship between genotypes and phenotypes helps in predicting the likelihood of specific traits in offspring.