What is an allele?(1 point)
a non-inherited trait
a trait that appears in an offspring if one of the parents contributes it
a trait that can be masked
a variant form of a gene
a variant form of a gene
An allele is a variant form of a gene.
The correct answer is: a variant form of a gene.
To find the answer, we can break down the question and analyze the options.
The question is asking for the definition of an allele. To understand what an allele is, we need to know what a gene is. A gene is a section of DNA that determines a specific trait or characteristic in an organism.
Now, let's look at the options:
- "A non-inherited trait": This option is incorrect because alleles are forms of genes and are inherited from parents.
- "A trait that appears in an offspring if one of the parents contributes it": This option is partially correct. Alleles are indeed traits that can be inherited from one or both parents, but not all alleles necessarily appear in an offspring.
- "A trait that can be masked": This option is incorrect. The term "masking" usually refers to the dominance and recessiveness of alleles, but it doesn't define what an allele is itself.
- "A variant form of a gene": This option is correct. Alleles are different forms or variations of a particular gene. They can have different sequences of DNA that lead to different traits or characteristics.
Based on this analysis, we can conclude that the correct answer is "a variant form of a gene."