HOMOZYGOTE Meaning and
Definition
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A homozgyote refers to an organism that has two identical alleles for a particular gene. It is derived from the term "homozygous," where "homo-" means "same" and "-zygote" refers to a fertilized egg or a diploid cell. Homozygotes are essential in studying genetics because they exhibit a certain genetic trait determined by the presence of the identical alleles.
In a diploid organism, there are usually two copies (alleles) of each gene, one inherited from each parent. These alleles can either be the same or different. A homozygote arises when an individual has an identical pair of alleles, either both dominant or both recessive, for a specific gene. For instance, if a person inherits two dominant alleles for the gene determining eye color, they would be a homozygote for that trait and have the same eye color.
Homozygotes have a significant impact on genetics research and inheritance patterns as they often produce predictable phenotypes. They allow scientists to understand the relationship between genotype and phenotype, as well as conduct experiments to determine the inheritance patterns associated with specific traits or diseases. Moreover, homozygotes are particularly important in genetic disorders and diseases, as the presence of two identical recessive alleles can lead to the expression of the disorder or disease phenotype.
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1. An individual containing but one of the two allelomorphs, each of the two germ cells, by the union of which it was formed, containing the same member of the allelomorphic pair. 2. A zygote produced by the union of two similar gametes of the same strain.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for HOMOZYGOTE
- homozygous
- gomozygote
- bomozygote
- nomozygote
- jomozygote
- uomozygote
- yomozygote
- himozygote
- hkmozygote
- hlmozygote
- hpmozygote
- h0mozygote
- h9mozygote
- honozygote
- hokozygote
- hojozygote
- homizygote
- homkzygote
- homlzygote
- hompzygote
Etymology of HOMOZYGOTE
The word "homozygote" is derived from combining two Greek roots: "homo" meaning "same" and "zygote" referring to a cell resulting from the fusion of two gametes (reproductive cells, such as sperm and egg) during fertilization. In genetics, the term "homozygote" is used to describe an individual that carries two copies of the same allele (variant) of a specific gene at a particular locus on a chromosome.
Similar spelling words for HOMOZYGOTE
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