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In genetics, the terms trait and character are used to describe the qualities of the organisms. In an organism, a mixture of two traits occurs, which can be hereditary or determined by external variables. The blue eye colour, for example, is a trait, but the eye colour of the organism is a character.
The main distinction between character and trait is that a trait is a condition of a character, which is a different variation of an organism’s phenotypic characteristic, whereas a character is a distinguishable feature that aids in identifying the organism.
Character and Trait in Genetics
A character is a distinguishing feature of a group of organisms. They are inherited as genes by organisms from their parents. A single gene can decide many characters, while multiple genes can ascertain a specific character. They are divided into two categories based on the number of characters used to determine a character; they are oligogenic characters and polygenic. The oligogenic character is determined by a few genes, whereas the polygenic character is determined by a large number of genes. Several fundamental characteristics are shared by all living species. Order, sensitivity to the environment, growth, reproduction, control, processing of energy, and homeostasis are some of them.
A trait is a unique variation of an organism character. As a result, it can be recognised as a character state. An organism-specific trait is inherited from its parents, and the expression of it is influenced by the surrounding environment. A trait can be measured or observable. Therefore, every trait arises in combination with another trait of the character. However, only one trait is expressed in a pair, and it is referred to as the dominant trait. Meanwhile, the recessive trait refers to the trait that is not expressed.
The distinction between Character and Trait
Conclusion
Both character and trait help in the identification of the organisms and the main distinction between them in genetics are due to their correspondence in the living species.
