What is allele? How to use in English

Discover the meaning of allele in English, its pronunciation, and how to use it correctly in real-life situations. See examples and easy memorization tips.

Definition & pronunciation of allele

allelenoun

alen

/əˈliːl//əˈliːl/

Where does the word allele come from?

The word "allele" comes from the words "allelomorph" and "morpheme". "Allelomorph" was coined in 1905 by William Bateson, an English biologist, to describe different forms of a gene that occupy the same position on a chromosome. He derived it from the Greek words "allelon" meaning "of each other" and "morphē" meaning "form". In 1910, the term was shortened to "allele" by the Danish botanist Wilhelm Johannsen, who translated "allelomorph" into Danish as "allel" and then shortened it further to "allelé" before the English language adopted it as "allele". The term gained widespread usage in genetics to describe the different forms of a gene that can occur at a particular location on a chromosome. Today, the term "allele" is used to describe the different versions of a gene that can influence an individual's characteristics and traits.

Vocabulary summary allele

typenoun

meaning(biology) Allele (allelic gene), corresponding gene

Example of vocabulary allelenamespace

  • The A allele is dominant over the B allele in this organism, resulting in the expression of the A trait.
  • The presence of the C allele in an individual's genotype affects their susceptibility to certain diseases.
  • The genetic variation seen in a population is due to the presence of multiple alleles at a given locus.
  • In a dihybrid cross, the AB Ferrari phenotype results from the presence of both the A and B alleles.
  • The recessive allele for brown hair color can only be expressed in homozygous individuals who inherit two copies of that allele.

Synonyms and related words for allele

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