Here's why:
* Heterozygote: An individual with two different alleles (versions) of a gene.
* Allele: A specific form of a gene.
* Phenotype: The physical expression of a gene, like eye color, height, or a specific disease.
Example:
Let's say a gene for flower color has two alleles:
* Purple (P) is dominant.
* White (p) is recessive.
A heterozygote for flower color would have the genotype Pp. Because purple is dominant, the heterozygote will have purple flowers, even though it carries the recessive white allele.
In summary:
When studying a heterozygote, we are interested in the *phenotype* (what the organism looks like or how it behaves) because it reveals the interaction of the different alleles.
