Definition

1. Noun:
   • A hybrid organism resulting from a cross between parents that differ in two specific pairs of genes (alleles): In genetics, a dihybrid is the offspring of parents that are genetically different (hybrid) for two distinct traits, where each trait is controlled by a single gene with two alleles.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • In Mendel's experiments, crossing a pea plant with round yellow seeds and one with wrinkled green seeds produced a dihybrid with round yellow seeds.
  • The dihybrid cross is a standard method for studying how two different traits are inherited together.

Advanced Usage

• "Dihybrid cross": A breeding experiment or Punnett square analysis that examines the inheritance patterns of two different traits simultaneously.
  • The classic 9:3:3:1 phenotypic ratio is observed in the F2 generation of a dihybrid cross.

Variants and Related Words

• Dihybridism (n): The state or condition of being a dihybrid.
• Monohybrid (n): A hybrid produced by parents that differ only at one gene locus.

Synonyms

• Double heterozygote: An organism that is heterozygous (has two different alleles) for two separate genes. (This is a more technical synonym for a dihybrid in the F1 generation.)

Related Phrases

• Dihybrid inheritance: The pattern of inheritance observed for two traits that are controlled by different genes and assort independently.
  • Mendel's laws of segregation and independent assortment explain dihybrid inheritance.

Noun

1. a hybrid produced by parents that differ only at two gene loci that have two alleles each