Heterozygous
An organism that has two different alleles for a trait
Heterozygous refers to a genetic condition in which an organism has two different alleles, or versions, of a particular gene. These alleles may be dominant or recessive, depending on which one is expressed in the phenotype, or physical characteristics, of the organism.
For example, if an individual inherits one dominant allele and one recessive allele for the gene that determines hair color, they will be heterozygous for that trait. In this case, the dominant allele will determine the hair color that is expressed, while the recessive allele will be masked.
Heterozygosity is an important concept in genetics because it can affect the way that traits are inherited in offspring. For example, if two heterozygous individuals mate, their offspring have a 25% chance of inheriting two recessive alleles, which would result in the expression of the recessive trait.
Heterozygous individuals can also be carriers of genetic disorders if the disorder is caused by a recessive allele. In this case, the individual does not have the disorder themselves, but can pass the allele on to their offspring who may inherit the disorder if they also inherit a matching recessive allele from their other parent.
More Answers:
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