How Do You Spell ALLELOMORPH?

1. An allelomorph, also known as an allele, is a variant or alternative form of a gene that occupies the same position, or locus, on a particular chromosome. Genes are responsible for determining the characteristics or traits of an organism, and each individual typically possesses two alleles for each gene, one inherited from the mother and the other from the father.

   Alleles can exist in different types, ranging from dominant to recessive. Dominant alleles exert their effect on the phenotype, or observable traits, of an organism even when paired with a different allele. On the other hand, recessive alleles only manifest their effect when paired with another recessive allele.

   Alleles are generally designated using letters. For example, the human gene for blood type has three alleles: A, B, and O. A person with two A alleles will have blood type A, while those with two B alleles will have blood type B. If a person has one A allele and one B allele, they will have blood type AB.

   Alleles play a fundamental role in genetic inheritance and diversity within populations. They can be inherited from parents or arise through genetic mutations. Alleles can also interact with each other, resulting in a variety of genetic outcomes, including the manifestation of inherited characteristics or the expression of genetic disorders.

2. In Mendelian heredity, one of a pair of characters which are alternative in their inheritance, the descendants exhibiting one or the other of the characters, but not a mixture of the two.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for ALLELOMORPH

The word "allelomorph" comes from the combination of two Greek roots: "allel-" and "-morph".

1. "Allel-" is derived from the Greek word "allelon", meaning "of one another" or "mutual". This reflects the concept of two or more contrasting forms or variants of a gene that occur on the same locus (position) on homologous chromosomes.

2. "-Morph" is derived from the Greek word "morphē", meaning "form" or "shape". It implies that the different variants or forms of a gene have distinct morphological or genetic characteristics.

Therefore, the term "allelomorph" can be understood as "mutually related forms" or "variant shapes" which refer to the different versions of a gene found in individuals or populations. These different alleles can result in variations in physical traits or genetic traits.

Similar spelling word for ALLELOMORPH

Plural form of ALLELOMORPH is ALLELOMORPHS