Meaning & use
alleles
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“alleles” is a form of “allele”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounpluralbiology
The different versions of the same gene, which can lead to different traits such as eye color.
Grammar: Plural of allele; often with of: alleles of a gene.
Patterns
- alleles of a gene
- dominant alleles
- recessive alleles
Each parent passes one of two alleles to a child.
The gene for blood type has three common alleles.
Recessive alleles only show up when a person inherits two copies.
Word forms
| singular | allele |
|---|
Common combinations
- dominant alleles
- Dominant alleles can mask the effect of the other version.
- recessive alleles
- Recessive alleles may stay hidden for generations.
- inherit alleles
- Children inherit alleles from both parents.
- alleles of a gene
- Scientists compared the alleles of a single gene.
Synonyms and how they differ
- variants
- Variants is broader and can mean any genetic difference, not only versions of one gene at one location.
Word family
Commonly confused: alleles or genes?
alleles vs genes
A gene is a unit of heredity; alleles are the alternative forms a single gene can take.
Practice
A person has two ___ for each gene, one from each parent.
Choose one answer.
Alleles are the versions of a gene, and a person typically carries two for each gene. Proteins and enzymes are products of genes, and 'chromosomes only' does not describe gene versions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “alleles”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.