heterozygous

[ het-er-uh-zahy-guhs ]

adjective

, Genetics.

1. relating to or being a heterozygote, an organism that possesses a pair of differing alleles, one dominant and one recessive, of a particular gene.

heterozygous

/ ˌhɛtərəʊˈzaɪɡəs /

adjective

1. genetics (of an organism) having different alleles for any one gene Compare homozygous

   heterozygous for eye colour

heterozygous

/ hĕt′ər-ə-zī′gəs /

1. Relating to a cell that has two different alleles at corresponding positions on homologous chromosomes.
2. Compare homozygous

Other Words From

• het·er·o·zy·gos·i·ty [het-, uh, -roh-zahy-, gos, -i-tee], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of heterozygous¹

First recorded in 1900–05; hetero- + Greek zygós, adjective derivative of zygón “yolk”; -ous

Example Sentences

He hopes that physicians add this gene to the list of lupus-associated genes, "so if they see a mutation like these, even a heterozygous mutation, they will investigate further."

From Science Daily

Hence, this work suggests that a single heterozygous mutation, in one of a large number of genes, is an easy way for cells to acquire a “super-mutator” power that allows cancer to progress faster.

From Scientific American

This insight into the relative frequency of heterozygous and homozygous mutations associated with genetic instability in yeast might have relevance for understanding the mechanisms by which cancer cells acquire genetic instability.

From Nature

Moreover, the proportion of genes in which her chromosome pairs harbored different variants—so-called heterozygous alleles—was close to 50% across all chromosomes, suggesting the maternal and paternal chromosomes came directly from different groups.

From Science Magazine

The individuals, being heterozygous for these variants, lacked the disease phenotype.

From Nature