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heterozygote

heterozygote

1 9.9
A living thing with two different versions of a gene
  • noun
  • /ˌhɛtəroʊˈzaɪɡoʊt/
  • Specialized
: heterocigoto
  • Excesses in heterozygote frequencies are expected in outcrossing species, while excesses in homozygote frequencies are considered characteristic of inbreeding species.
  • heterozygote codon 52
  • heterozygote 52

Examples

  • To use his own words: "The corpuscles of the anaemic heterozygote are smaller than normal, and more resistant to hypotonic solutions."

    Academic text (1996)
  • A heterozygote inherits different alleles from each parent, resulting in a unique combination of traits.

  • What if the heterozygote shows that phenotype?

  • Now this is the normal heterozygote which is susceptible to malaria.

  • But both of these have a heterozygote advantage in being malarial resistant.

  • The S A heterozygotes have the highest fitness.

  • When F approaches -1, there is an excess of heterozygotes in the population, whereas when F nears +1, the population is deficient in heterozygotes.

    Academic text (2002)
  • In malarial environments, the antimalarial benefits to the more numerous heterozygotes offset the severe disadvantage to the far less numerous homozygotes.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Female heterozygotes have demonstrated milder radiologic abnormalities, most noticeably dilated internal auditory canals.

    Academic text (2005)
  • In genetics, a heterozygote can produce offspring with a variety of traits due to its diverse alleles.

How Heterozygous

heterozygote
  • Specialized
1 9.9
homozygote
  • Specialized
1 9.1

Surface Forms

heterozygote singular
heterozygotes plural

Morphology

heterozygote = zygote (semi-transparent) = hetero + zygote

Built from the combining form 'hetero-' (different) and 'zygote', but the specific genetic sense ('having different alleles') is technical and not fully inferable by general learners.

Etymology

Heterozygote comes from the Greek parts hetero- meaning 'different' and zygote meaning 'joined' or 'paired', so it literally suggests a 'different pair'. So, a heterozygote is an organism that has two different versions of the same gene, one from each parent.