What does the term "recessive" refer to in genetics?

The term "recessive" in genetics specifically refers to heritable characteristics that manifest only when an individual inherits the same allele from both parents. In a typical genetic scenario, every organism has two alleles for a trait, one inherited from each parent. A recessive trait will only be expressed phenotypically when both alleles are recessive. For instance, if the trait for flower color in a plant is governed by a gene with a dominant allele for purple flowers and a recessive allele for white flowers, the plant will only display white flowers if it inherits the white flower allele from both parents. If it inherits any dominant allele for purple flowers, that trait will overshadow the recessive trait, making it unobservable. This understanding of dominance and recessiveness is fundamental in genetics and helps in predicting the outcomes of genetic crosses.

Other options may touch upon different concepts within genetics, such as traits influenced by environmental factors or dominant traits, but they do not accurately depict the definition of "recessive."