Here's a breakdown:

* Gene: A segment of DNA that contains the instructions for building a specific protein or RNA molecule.

* Allele: A specific variant of a gene.

For example, the gene for eye color might have several different alleles, such as an allele for brown eyes, an allele for blue eyes, and an allele for green eyes.

Think of it like this: A gene is like a recipe for a cake, and alleles are like different variations of the recipe, each leading to a slightly different outcome.