Homozygous
Homozygous
Homozygous (/hoʊmoʊˈzaɪɡəs/; from the Greek words 'homos' meaning same and 'zygon' meaning yoke) is a term used in Genetics to describe a particular genetic condition where an individual has two identical alleles of a gene for a particular trait.
Etymology
The term 'Homozygous' is derived from the Greek words 'homos' which means 'same' and 'zygon' which means 'yoke'. It was first used in the field of genetics in the early 20th century.
Definition
In a Diploid organism, genes have two alleles, one from each parent. When these alleles are identical, the organism is said to be Homozygous for that gene. The opposite of Homozygous is Heterozygous, where the two alleles of a gene are different.
Related Terms
- Allele: One of two or more versions of a gene that are found at the same place on a chromosome.
- Genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism; the combination of alleles for a given gene.
- Phenotype: The physical and physiological traits of an organism, which are determined by its genetic makeup.
- Dominant allele: An allele that is fully expressed in the phenotype of a heterozygote.
- Recessive allele: An allele whose phenotypic effect is not observed in a heterozygote.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Homozygous
- Wikipedia's article - Homozygous
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