allele

al·lele  (-ll)

n.

One member of a pair or series of genes that occupy a specific position on a specific chromosome.

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[German Allel, short for Allelomorph, allelomorph, from English allelomorph.]

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al·lelic (-llk, -llk) adj.

al·lelism n.

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allele [əˈliːl]

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Genetics) any of two or more variants of a gene that have the same relative position on homologous chromosomes and are responsible for alternative characteristics, such as smooth or wrinkled seeds in peas Also called allelomorph [əˈliːləˌmɔːf] See also multiple alleles

[from German Allel, shortened from allelomorph, from Greek allēl- one another + morphē form]

allelic  adj

allelism  n

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allele  (-ll)

Any of the possible forms in which a gene for a specific trait can occur. In almost all animal cells, two alleles for each gene are inherited, one from each parent. Paired alleles (one on each of two paired chromosomes) that are the same are called homozygous, and those that are different are called heterozygous. In heterozygous pairings, one allele is usually dominant, and the other recessive. Complex traits such as height and longevity are usually caused by the interactions of numerous pairs of alleles, while simple traits such as eye color may be caused by just one pair.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

allele - (genetics) either of a pair (or series) of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character; "some alleles are dominant over others" allelomorph cistron, gene, factor - (genetics) a segment of DNA that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding DNA as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity; "genes were formerly called factors" dominant allele, dominant - an allele that produces the same phenotype whether its paired allele is identical or different recessive, recessive allele - an allele that produces its characteristic phenotype only when its paired allele is identical genetic science, genetics - the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms