Definition

Noun: A monohybrid is an individual organism that is heterozygous for a single specific gene or trait. This means it carries two different alleles (versions) for that one gene, having inherited one allele from each parent. The term is central to classical genetics, particularly in the study of inheritance patterns for a single trait.

Usage

The term is used primarily in the context of genetics and biological science to describe the genetic makeup of an organism or the type of cross performed in an experiment. - It describes the offspring resulting from a cross between two parent organisms that differ in only one characteristic. - It is used to analyze the inheritance pattern (dominant vs. recessive) of a single trait.

Examples

• In Mendel's pioneering experiments, the offspring of a cross between a true-breeding tall pea plant and a true-breeding short pea plant were all monohybrids for the height gene.
• To study flower color inheritance, researchers created a monohybrid by crossing pure purple-flowered and pure white-flowered plants.
• The phenotypic ratio observed in the F2 generation of a monohybrid cross is typically 3:1.

Advanced Usage

• Monohybrid Cross: A breeding experiment between two parent organisms that are monohybrids (heterozygous) for the same single trait. This cross is used to observe the segregation of alleles.
  • Performing a monohybrid cross can predict the probability of offspring inheriting a particular genotype.
• The concept is foundational for understanding more complex dihybrid crosses (involving two traits).

Variants and Related Words

• Monohybrid Cross (noun phrase): The mating experiment itself involving parents differing in one trait.
• Monohybrid Inheritance (noun phrase): The pattern of inheritance observed from a monohybrid cross.

Synonyms

• Heterozygote (for a single gene/locus): This is a more general term; a monohybrid is a specific type of heterozygote resulting from a cross focused on one trait.
• F1 hybrid (in the context of a first-generation cross for a single trait): This specifies the generation of the monohybrid offspring.

Noun

1. a hybrid produced by crossing parents that are homozygous except for a single gene locus that has two alleles (as in Mendel's experiments with garden peas)