Heterozygous
* Definition: An individual who has two different alleles (versions) of a particular gene.
* Example: A person who inherits a brown eye allele (B) from one parent and a blue eye allele (b) from the other parent would be heterozygous for eye color (Bb).
* Key Point: Heterozygous individuals express the dominant trait.
Homozygous
* Definition: An individual who has two identical alleles of a particular gene.
* Examples:
* Homozygous Dominant: A person who inherits a brown eye allele (B) from both parents would be homozygous dominant for eye color (BB).
* Homozygous Recessive: A person who inherits a blue eye allele (b) from both parents would be homozygous recessive for eye color (bb).
* Key Points:
* Homozygous dominant individuals express the dominant trait.
* Homozygous recessive individuals express the recessive trait.
In a Nutshell
Think of it like this:
* Heterozygous: Different alleles (like having a brown eye allele and a blue eye allele).
* Homozygous: Same alleles (like having two brown eye alleles or two blue eye alleles).
Let me know if you'd like more examples or want to explore specific scenarios!
