Homozygous refers to an organism with two identical copies of a gene. Homologous pairs of chromosomes contain corresponding genetic information, and each genetic trait can be located at a particular site or locus on a chromosome. Homozygous animals have identical alleles, while heterozygous animals have two different alleles. Genetic inheritance is complicated, and when an animal is homozygous for a trait, it can be expressed in different ways. Homologous recessive means inheriting two copies of a recessive gene.
In genetics, homozygous is a term used to refer to an organism that has inherited two identical copies of a gene. For example, if a plant is homozygous for red flowers, it means it has inherited two copies of the gene that tells it to produce red flowers. For people who keep animals or who raise plants, being able to recognize a homozygous animal is important, as it will allow breeders to bring out desirable traits with careful breeding.
Organisms become homozygous for a trait when they are diploid, meaning they inherit two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. Sexually reproducing organisms, such as humans, are diploid. When the two sets of chromosomes join together, each chromosome in each set has a complementary chromosome in the other set. A pair of chromosomes is said to be homologous, and each homologous pair contains corresponding genetic information, although the content of each chromosome is different because it comes from a different parent.
Each genetic trait can be located at a particular site or locus on a chromosome, and in a homologous chromosome pair, there will be two copies of the alleles that code for a particular trait. In homozygous animals, these alleles are identical. Heterozygous animals have two different alleles, in which case only one of the alleles will be expressed. Hemizygous animals have inherited only one copy of an allele, with missing genetic information on the corresponding chromosome.
Genetic inheritance is complicated and is rarely as simple as two alleles in a pair of homologous chromosomes, although novice genetics students are usually introduced to the concept in this way. When an animal is homozygous for a trait, the trait can be expressed in different ways due to other alleles that have an influence on development.
When an animal is homologous recessive, it means that it has inherited two copies of a recessive gene. People with blue eyes are an example of a recessive counterpart. A person with blue eyes will pass on the gene, but her child will not necessarily have blue eyes unless the child also inherits the blue-eyed gene from the other parent. On the other hand, someone who is homozygous dominant for a trait such as brown eyes will have brown-eyed children because only one copy of a dominant trait is needed to express the trait.
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