Heterozygous
two different alleles
Heterozygous is a term used to describe an organism that has two different alleles for a particular gene. Alleles are variants of a gene, which code for different versions of a particular trait. In a heterozygous organism, the two alleles may be dominant or recessive, meaning that one allele may be expressed more strongly than the other allele.
For example, an organism with one allele for blue eyes and one allele for brown eyes would be heterozygous for the eye color gene. The brown eye allele may be dominant, meaning that the organism will have brown eyes, but it still carries the blue eye allele.
Heterozygosity is an important genetic concept, as it can influence the phenotype, or physical characteristics, of an organism. Some genetic disorders, such as sickle cell anemia, are caused by inheriting two abnormal alleles from both parents. However, in heterozygous individuals, having one normal allele may provide protection against the effects of the abnormal allele.
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