What is the difference between gene and allele. Is allele a part of the gene? Or is gene a part of allele?
What is the difference between gene and allele. Is allele a part of the gene? Or is gene a part of allele?
A gene is a unit of hereditary information. Except in some viruses, genes are made up of DNA, a complex molecule that codes genetic information for the transmission of inherited traits. Alleles are also genetic sequences, and they too code for the transmission of traits.
However, an allele is a variant form of a gene. Each gene resides at a specific locus (location on a chromosome) in two copies, one copy of the gene inherited from each parent. The copies, however, are not necessarily the same. When the copies of a gene differ from each other, they are known as alleles. A given gene may have multiple different alleles, though only two alleles are present at the gene’s locus in any individual. Alleles can sometimes result in different phenotypes (observable traits), with certain alleles being dominant (overriding the traits of other alleles) or, in some cases, multiple alleles acting in a codominant fashion. An example of the latter is the human ABO blood group system, in which persons with type AB blood have one allele for A and one for B (persons with neither allele are type O). An example of dominant allele expression is flower color in pea plants. A plant with purple flowers actually has a genotype (genetic makeup) consisting of a gene with a dominant P and a recessive p allele.
Function of gene and allele: Gene is a section of genetic code in DNA, responsible for a particular trait in an organism. This code is then copied to mRNA (messenger RNA) by a process called 'Transcription'. This mRNA then leaves the nucleus of the cell and goes to ribosome, where it synthesizes a polypeptide chain - the building block of 'Protein'. This synthesized protein then expresses as a particular trait (like eye-color or height or blood type). Genes are always in pairs: one from mother and another from father.
Whereas, An Allele is a particular version (variation) of that gene. An allele may be dominant or recessive, or co-dominant or show incomplete dominance. A gene may have many alleles (case of multiple alleles eg. ABO blood group allele). If the allele of a gene from father is same as that from mother, this condition is called 'Homozygous' condition; if different, then the condition is called 'Heterozygous'
A dominant allele expresses (synthesizes the protein) irrespective of the fact that it occurs in homozygous or heterozygous condition, while suppressing the expression of recessive allele.
A recessive allele expresses only if it occurs in homozygous condition.
A co-dominant allele express irrespective of the fact that it occurs in homozygous or heterozygous condition. It however, do not suppress another co-dominant allele.
An incomplete dominance allele expresses partially. If in homozygous condition, the expression is full.
Thus, allele is a variant part of gene having some particular characteristics.
However, an allele is a variant form of a gene. Each gene resides at a specific locus (location on a chromosome) in two copies, one copy of the gene inherited from each parent. The copies, however, are not necessarily the same. When the copies of a gene differ from each other, they are known as alleles. A given gene may have multiple different alleles, though only two alleles are present at the gene’s locus in any individual.
Alleles can sometimes result in different phenotypes (observable traits), with certain alleles being dominant (overriding the traits of other alleles) or, in some cases, multiple alleles acting in a codominant fashion. An example of the latter is the human ABO blood group system, in which persons with type AB blood have one allele for A and one for B (persons with neither allele are type O). An example of dominant allele expression is flower color in pea plants. A plant with purple flowers actually has a genotype (genetic makeup) consisting of a gene with a dominant P and a recessive p allele.
Function of gene and allele: Gene is a section of genetic code in DNA, responsible for a particular trait in an organism. This code is then copied to mRNA (messenger RNA) by a process called 'Transcription'. This mRNA then leaves the nucleus of the cell and goes to ribosome, where it synthesizes a polypeptide chain - the building block of 'Protein'. This synthesized protein then expresses as a particular trait (like eye-color or height or blood type). Genes are always in pairs: one from mother and another from father.
Whereas, An Allele is a particular version (variation) of that gene. An allele may be dominant or recessive, or co-dominant or show incomplete dominance. A gene may have many alleles (case of multiple alleles eg. ABO blood group allele). If the allele of a gene from father is same as that from mother, this condition is called 'Homozygous' condition; if different, then the condition is called 'Heterozygous'
A dominant allele expresses (synthesizes the protein) irrespective of the fact that it occurs in homozygous or heterozygous condition, while suppressing the expression of recessive allele.
A recessive allele expresses only if it occurs in homozygous condition.
A co-dominant allele express irrespective of the fact that it occurs in homozygous or heterozygous condition. It however, do not suppress another co-dominant allele.
An incomplete dominance allele expresses partially. If in homozygous condition, the expression is full.
Thus, allele is a variant part of gene having some particular characteristics.
