What do capital letters represent in genetics?

In genetics, capital letters are used to denote dominant traits. When discussing alleles, which are variations of a gene that determine specific traits, the convention is that a dominant allele is represented by a capital letter. For example, in a genetic cross, if 'A' denotes a dominant allele for a trait (like color), individuals with at least one 'A' will express that dominant trait, regardless of the presence of a recessive allele (represented by a lowercase letter, such as 'a').

This convention helps simplify genetic notation and allows for easy differentiation between dominant and recessive traits in Punnett squares and genetic predictions. Understanding this representation is crucial for genetics, as it provides clarity in identifying and predicting how traits can be inherited in offspring.