What is an allele?(1 point)
Responses
a trait that appears in an offspring if one of the parents contributes it
a trait that appears in an offspring if one of the parents contributes it
a non-inherited trait
a non-inherited trait
a trait that can be masked
a trait that can be masked
a variant form of a gene
a variant form of a gene
a variant form of a gene
The correct answer is: "a variant form of a gene".
To understand what an allele is, let's break it down. In genetics, a gene is a segment of DNA that contains instructions for building specific traits. An allele refers to the different versions or variants of a gene.
For example, let's consider the gene for eye color. There are different alleles of this gene that determine different eye colors, such as blue, brown, or green. Each allele represents a specific version of the gene that produces a particular variation of the trait.
To determine the allele(s) for a particular trait, you can look at an individual's genotype. The genotype represents the combination of alleles a person inherits from their parents. For eye color, someone might have two alleles for blue eyes (bb), while someone else might have one allele for blue eyes and one for brown eyes (Bb).
So, in short, an allele is a variant form of a gene that determines the specific characteristics or traits an organism can have.