Heterozygous意思

"Heterozygous" is a term used in genetics to describe an individual organism that has two different alleles for a particular gene. An allele is a variant form of a gene that occupies a specific position, or locus, on a chromosome. When an organism has two identical alleles for a trait, it is said to be homozygous for that trait. If the two alleles are different, the organism is heterozygous for that trait.

For example, consider a plant with the genotype "TT" for a certain trait. In this case, the plant is homozygous dominant for that trait, meaning it has two copies of the same allele (T). On the other hand, a plant with the genotype "Tt" would be heterozygous for that trait, as it has one copy of the dominant allele (T) and one copy of the recessive allele (t).

In the context of genetics and heredity, being heterozygous can sometimes result in a phenotype that is different from both of the homozygous conditions (i.e., when an individual has two copies of the same allele). This phenomenon is known as incomplete dominance or codominance, where the phenotype of the heterozygous individual is a blend of the two homozygous phenotypes.