Word: Homozygous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: The word "homozygous" describes a situation in genetics where an organism has two identical alleles (versions of a gene) for a particular trait. This means that the genes inherited from both parents are the same.
Usage Instructions: You can use "homozygous" when talking about genetics, especially in biology, to describe pairs of alleles. It's often used in research or scientific discussions about inheritance and traits.
Example Sentence: "These two fruit flies are homozygous for red eye color, meaning they both have the same gene for this trait."
Advanced Usage: In more advanced discussions, you might encounter phrases like "homozygous dominant" (where both alleles are the dominant form) or "homozygous recessive" (where both alleles are the recessive form).
Word Variants: - Heterozygous: This is the opposite of homozygous. It describes an organism with two different alleles for a particular gene. - Homozygosity: This noun form refers to the state of having identical alleles.
Different Meanings: In general usage outside of genetics, "homozygous" does not have other meanings. It is a technical term specific to biology.
Synonyms: There are no direct synonyms for "homozygous" outside of its scientific context, but you might use "identical" when describing the alleles in a more general way.
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs: "Homozygous" is a specific scientific term and does not have idioms or phrasal verbs associated with it.
Summary: "Homozygous" is used in genetics to describe organisms with two identical alleles for a specific trait.