Dominance

In genetics, the full phenotypic expression of a gene in both heterozygotes and homozygotes.

In psychological terms, a predisposition to play a prominent or controlling role when interacting with others. In neurology, the (normal) tendency of one-half of the brain to be more important than the other in mediating various functions (cerebral dominance). In genetics, the ability of one gene (dominant gene) to express itself in the phenotype of an individual when paired with another (recessive) gene that would have expressed itself in a different way.

In genetics, applied to one member of an allelic pair of genes, which has the ability to manifest itself wholly or largely at the exclusion of the expression of the other member.

The characteristic of a gene form (allele) that leads to the trait which it controls being shown in any individual carrying it.

The tendency of a person to rely most heavily on and to be most easy and proficient at using one eye, ear, hand, or foot over the other; sometimes called sidedness. In relation to preference for the right or left hand, dominance is often called handedness. Dominance in hands, eyes, and feet is believed to reflect cerebral dominance of one hemisphere of the brain over the other, the right side of the brain corresponding to the left side of the body, and vice versa. Generally, the preferred eye, hand, and foot are all on the same side of the body, left or right. But in some people, including many with learning disabilities, they are not. So a child might, for example, be right-footed and right-eyed but left-handed. Such a condition is called cross dominance or mixed dominance. In some young learning-disabled children, dominance (including handedness) is not fully established, and they often confuse left with right. A condition in which neither eye dominates is called ambieyedness, as equal use of hands is called ambidextrous.

Ability of a specific genetic characteristic to appear at the expense of another.

A genetic pattern of inheritance in which one of an allelic pair of genes has the capacity to suppress the expression of the other so that the first prevails in the heterozygote.