What term refers to different forms of the same gene?

What term refers to different forms of the same gene?

• A. Genes
• B. Chromosomes
• C. Locus
• D. Alleles

Answer: (D)

Alleles are the different forms of the same gene. A gene can have variations in its DNA sequence, and each distinct version is an allele. These variants are what create differences in traits among individuals, and an organism typically has two alleles for each gene—one inherited from each parent—which can be the same (homozygous) or different (heterozygous). The other terms describe broader ideas: a gene is a basic unit of heredity, a chromosome is a structure that carries many genes, and a locus is the specific location of a gene on a chromosome. So the word that specifically refers to the different forms of the same gene is allele.

Alleles are the different forms of the same gene. A gene can have variations in its DNA sequence, and each distinct version is an allele. These variants are what create differences in traits among individuals, and an organism typically has two alleles for each gene—one inherited from each parent—which can be the same (homozygous) or different (heterozygous). The other terms describe broader ideas: a gene is a basic unit of heredity, a chromosome is a structure that carries many genes, and a locus is the specific location of a gene on a chromosome. So the word that specifically refers to the different forms of the same gene is allele.