Here's a breakdown:

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

* Allele: A specific variation of a gene. Each individual inherits two alleles for each gene, one from their mother and one from their father. These alleles can be the same (homozygous) or different (heterozygous).

For example, the gene for eye color has multiple alleles, including alleles for brown eyes, blue eyes, and green eyes. An individual might inherit two brown eye alleles, two blue eye alleles, or one brown and one blue eye allele.