heterozygote

[ het-er-uh-zahy-goht, -zig-oht ]

noun

, Genetics.

1. a person, animal, or other organism with a pair of differing alleles, one dominant and one recessive, of a particular gene.

heterozygote

/ -ˈzɪɡəʊt; ˌhɛtərəʊˈzaɪɡəʊt /

noun

1. an animal or plant that is heterozygous; a hybrid Compare homozygote

Derived Forms

• ˌheterozyˈgosis, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of heterozygote¹

First recorded in 1900–05; hetero- + zygote

Example Sentences

This mechanism, termed a ‘heterozygote advantage’, can arise from the benefits of carrying different forms of a gene, as opposed to two of the same variant, or ‘alleles’.

From Scientific American

In time, students discover that one is homozygous green and the other a yellow-blue heterozygote.

From Science Magazine

A heterozygote in which dominance prevails can be identified with certainty by breeding to a known recessive and noting the kind of offspring produced.

From Project Gutenberg

The heterozygote produced by crossing these forms is intermediate in size and appearance.

From Project Gutenberg

An individual may be a homozygote with respect to one factor and a heterozygote with respect to another.

From Project Gutenberg