Heterozygous
Heterozygous refers to the condition or state where an individual has two different forms of a particular gene, one inherited from each parent. The term is derived from the Greek words "heteros" meaning different and "zygon" meaning yoked or paired.
Definition[edit | edit source]
In genetics, a heterozygote is an individual having two different alleles of a particular gene or genes, and so giving rise to varying offspring. This variation can influence the phenotype of an organism, in which the two different alleles interact to produce a physical characteristic.
Heterozygous vs Homozygous[edit | edit source]
In contrast to a heterozygous organism, a homozygous organism has two copies of the same allele for a particular gene. The presence of identical alleles makes the organism homozygous for that gene. The phenotype of a homozygous organism will only display the traits associated with that particular allele.
Examples[edit | edit source]
An example of a heterozygous genotype is the Aa genotype for the seed shape in peas. The 'A' allele codes for round seeds, while the 'a' allele codes for wrinkled seeds. A plant with an Aa genotype will produce round seeds because the 'A' allele is dominant over the 'a' allele.
Importance in Medicine[edit | edit source]
In medicine, the concept of heterozygosity is important in understanding many genetic disorders. For example, in autosomal dominant disorders, an individual only needs one copy of the disease-causing allele to have the disorder. In contrast, in autosomal recessive disorders, an individual must be homozygous for the disease-causing allele to have the disorder.
See Also[edit | edit source]
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