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Question

What are alleles? What is the difference between alleles and genes? Are alleles parts of a gene?

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Solution

Gene: Gene is considered as a small stretch of DNA which acts as the molecular unit of heredity. Each gene carries some particular set of instructions necessary for building and maintaining the growth of cells and also passes the information to the offspring.

Allele: Allele is an alternative form of a gene situated in a specific locus of a specific gene. Allele is one of the members of a pair of gene that expresses the alternative form of the character which is expressed by the other pair. If the alleles are similar it is called homozygous and if the alleles are different it is heterozygous.

No, alleles are not part of genes. They are the alternative forms of a gene.


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