The expression of a gene in the phenotype irrespective of whether the cell is ho...

The question is asking about the term used to describe the expression of a gene in the phenotype, regardless of whether the cell is homozygous (having two identical alleles for a particular gene) or heterozygous (having two different alleles for a particular gene).

The correct answer is Option E: dominance.

Dominance refers to a situation where one allele (variant of a gene) is expressed and masks the expression of another allele in the phenotype. In other words, when a dominant allele is present, it will be expressed and determine the physical characteristics of an organism, even if there is another different allele present.

For example, let's consider a gene that determines flower color in a plant. If the dominant allele for red flowers (R) is present, it will be expressed and the flowers will be red. Even if there is a recessive allele for white flowers (r) present, it will not be expressed in the phenotype. The dominant allele overrides the expression of the recessive allele.

So, in this case, the expression of the gene in the phenotype, regardless of whether the cell is homozygous or heterozygous, is known as dominance.