BASF Plant Science Certification Practice Exam 2025 - Free BASF Plant Science Practice Questions and Study Guide

A heterozygous genotype is characterized by the presence of two different alleles for a particular gene, which means that the organism has one dominant allele and one recessive allele. This condition results in the organism exhibiting the dominant trait while still carrying the recessive trait. The dominant allele masks the expression of the recessive allele in the phenotype, but the organism remains a carrier of the recessive allele's genetic information.

Understanding this concept is essential in genetics, as it helps explain inheritance patterns and how traits are passed on from one generation to the next. The statement captures the essence of heterozygosity by highlighting the relationship between dominance and recessiveness in genetic expression.

The other options do not accurately define a heterozygous genotype. For instance, describing the likelihood of inheriting certain traits refers more broadly to genetic inheritance without focusing on the specific nature of heterozygosity. Similarly, the assertion that dominant traits are always apparent in progeny relates to the dominance concept rather than the definition of heterozygosity. Finally, identifying a genotype with two copies of the same allele pertains to homozygosity rather than heterozygosity.