The pair of alleles present on an individual’s chromosomes dictates what eye color will be expressed.
Blue, green, brown, and hazel eyes are each encoded by unique alleles of said gene. In a simplified model, we will assume that there is only one gene that encodes for eye color (although there are multiple genes involved in most physical traits). An incredible number of genes and gene forms underly human genetic diversity, and they are the reason why no two people are exactly alike.Īs an example, let’s look at eye color. The greater the number of potential alleles, the more diversity in a given heritable trait. Because humans have two gene variants for each gene, we are known as diploid organisms. Individual humans have two alleles, or versions, of every gene. Genes can have two or more possible alleles. Different versions of the same gene are called alleles.
hair color), but they differ in how the trait is expressed (i.e. These gene variants still code for the same trait (i.e. When genes mutate, they can take on multiple forms, with each form differing slightly in the sequence of their base DNA. Every human has a unique genotype, which explains the vast variety in human appearance and biology. An organism’s genotype consists of its entire set of genes. Genes are inherited from an offspring’s parents, and they are responsible for features being passed down from one generation to the next.
Recessive vs dominant traits skin#
Genes encode for proteins that influence things like the immune system, skin pigmentation, hormone production, and eye color. Genes are sections of DNA that determine certain traits or characteristics. Genes and alleles are essential to basic genetics, but what are the differences between them? In this guide, we compare genes and alleles and provide simple definitions and examples for both.
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