Dominance
Dominance (Medicine)
Dominance (pronounced: /ˈdɒmɪnəns/) is a term used in the field of Genetics to describe the relationship between different versions of a gene, known as alleles.
Etymology
The term "Dominance" originates from the Latin word "dominant-", meaning "ruling, governing". In the context of genetics, it was first used in the early 20th century to describe the phenomenon observed by Mendel in his experiments with pea plants.
Definition
In genetics, an allele is said to be dominant if it manifests its effect even when present in a single copy (i.e., when it is heterozygous). This is in contrast to a recessive allele, which only manifests its effect when present in two copies (i.e., when it is homozygous).
Related Terms
- Allele: One of two or more versions of a gene that are found at the same place on a chromosome.
- Gene: A segment of DNA that codes for a specific trait.
- Genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism.
- Phenotype: The physical and physiological traits of an organism, which are determined by its genetic makeup.
- Heterozygous: Having two different alleles for a particular gene.
- Homozygous: Having two identical alleles for a particular gene.
- Recessive allele: An allele that only manifests its effect when present in two copies.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Dominance
- Wikipedia's article - Dominance
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski