key term - Heterozygous

Definition

In the context of genetics, a heterozygous organism has two different alleles for a specific gene. One allele is inherited from each parent, leading to variation in traits.

Related terms

Allele:

An allele is one of two or more versions of a gene that determine the variety of traits that can be inherited.

Homozygous:

An organism is homozygous for a gene when it has two identical alleles, either both dominant or both recessive.

Genotype:

The genotype is the genetic makeup of an organism, including all its genes and their variations, like being heterozygous or homozygous for certain traits