Question

How can you tell if someone is heterozygous or homozygous?

Answer 1

Allele:

1. Alleles are a pair of genes that occupy a specific location on a particular chromosome and control the same trait.
2. Alleles may appear in pairs or in multiple forms of alleles, which affect a specific trait of the offspring.

Homozygous:

1. If the Alleles of a gene are identical, the person is homozygous for that gene.
2. For example, one can have two identical or similar Alleles for a specific gene that causes hazel brown eyes.
3. Some alleles are dominant and are more strongly expressed, while others are recessive and are masked by the dominant Alleles.
4. Allele interaction between a dominant and a recessive allele does not occur in a homozygous genotype because the individual has either two dominant alleles known as homozygous dominant (RR) or two recessive alleles known as homozygous recessive (rr).

Heterozygous:

1. A person with a heterozygous genotype will have two versions of alleles (Rr).
2. As a result, two distinct alleles are present on the homologous chromosomes.
3. In terms of hair color , a heterozygous individual can have one allele for brown hair and one allele for red hair.
4. The relationship between the two alleles influences the traits expressed in an individual, as well as the characteristics of a carrier.