What is an allele?(1 point)
Responses
a non-inherited trait
a non-inherited trait
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 variant form of a gene
a variant form of a gene
a trait that can be masked
by other traits
a trait that can be masked by other traits
a segment of DNA that codes for a specific protein
a segment of DNA that codes for a specific protein
a trait that can be masked
The correct answer is: a variant form of a gene.
An allele is a variant form of a gene that can occur at a specific location on a chromosome. Genes code for specific traits, and each individual has two copies of each gene, one inherited from their mother and one from their father. These two copies can have different alleles. For example, there might be one allele for blue eye color and another allele for brown eye color. The specific combination of alleles an individual has determines their traits. When an individual has two copies of the same allele, they are said to be homozygous for that allele. When they have two different alleles, they are said to be heterozygous.