What is the definition of a contrasting trait?

A contrasting trait, also known as an alternative trait or allele, is a variant form of a characteristic. It's basically one of the possible options for a given feature.

Here's a breakdown:

* Characteristic: A specific feature or attribute of an organism. Examples include eye color, hair color, plant height, etc.

* Trait: A particular form or expression of a characteristic. For example, blue eyes, brown hair, tall plant, etc.

* Contrasting Trait: When a characteristic has multiple possible forms, each of these forms is a contrasting trait. For example, if eye color is the characteristic, then blue eyes, brown eyes, and green eyes are all contrasting traits.

Example:

Let's say we are talking about pea plants. One characteristic is flower color. The two contrasting traits for flower color are purple and white.

In simpler terms, contrasting traits are like different flavors of ice cream - you can choose your favorite, but they are all variations of the same basic concept.