Organisms that have two identical alleles for a gene are called?

Organisms that have two identical alleles for a gene are called?

• A. Homozygous
• B. Heterozygous
• C. Hemizygous
• D. Diplotype

Answer: (A)

Having two identical alleles for a gene means the organism is homozygous for that gene. In diploid organisms, you inherit one allele from each parent, and when those two copies are the same, the genotype is homozygous (for example, both copies are the same allele). If the two copies are different, the genotype is heterozygous (one copy of each allele). Hemizygous refers to having only one allele present for a gene in a given chromosome set (as with many X-linked genes in males), not two identical copies. Diplotype can describe the pair of alleles at a locus, but the standard term for two identical alleles is homozygous.

Having two identical alleles for a gene means the organism is homozygous for that gene. In diploid organisms, you inherit one allele from each parent, and when those two copies are the same, the genotype is homozygous (for example, both copies are the same allele). If the two copies are different, the genotype is heterozygous (one copy of each allele). Hemizygous refers to having only one allele present for a gene in a given chromosome set (as with many X-linked genes in males), not two identical copies. Diplotype can describe the pair of alleles at a locus, but the standard term for two identical alleles is homozygous.