allele

[uh-leel] /əˈlil/

noun, Genetics.

any of several forms of a gene, usually arising through mutation, that are responsible for hereditary variation.

Origin

1930-35; < German Allel, apparently as shortening of German equivalents of allelomorph or allelomorphic gene; allelo- < Greek allēlo-, combining form of allḗlōn of/to one another, reciprocally

Related forms

allelic

[uh-lee-lik, uh-lel-ik] /əˈli lɪk, əˈlɛl ɪk/ (Show IPA), adjective

allelism, noun

interallelic, adjective

nonallelic, adjective

Examples from the web for allele

They simply carry a double dose of an allele for whiteness.
The scientists discovered small changes in gene frequency, the relative percentage of an allele compared to nearby genes.
Inserting a resistant allele into susceptible macrophages made the cells more resistant to anthrax.
Each allele codes for a bitter taste receptor protein with a slightly different shape.
No such allele has been identified, and theoretical biologists haven't been able to model it.
So to take the eye color example, there would be an allele for brown eyes and an allele for blue eyes.
With each gene, one allele was much more common than all the others.
Those with a short allele have a genetic vulnerability to depression.
Unfortunately more complex creatures also have more spare or overlapping systems to help out a suboptimal allele.

British Dictionary definitions for allele

allele

/əˈliːl/

noun

any of two or more variants of a gene that have the same relative position on homologous chromosomes and are responsible for alternative characteristics, such as smooth or wrinkled seeds in peas Also called allelomorph (əˈliːləˌmɔːf) See also multiple alleles

Derived Forms

allelic, adjective
allelism, noun

Word Origin

C20: from German Allel, shortened from allelomorph, from Greek allēl- one another + morphē form

Word Origin and History for allele

1931, from German allel, abbreviation of allelomorph (1902), coined from Greek allel- "one another" (from allos "other;" see alias) + morphe "form" (see Morpheus).

allele in Medicine

allele al·lele (ə-lēl')
n.
One member of a pair or series of genes that occupies a specific position on a specific chromosome. Also called allelomorph.

al·le'lic (ə-lē'lĭk, ə-lěl'ĭk) adj.

allele in Science

allele

(ə-lēl')
Any of the possible forms in which a gene for a specific trait can occur. In almost all animal cells, two alleles for each gene are inherited, one from each parent. Paired alleles (one on each of two paired chromosomes) that are the same are called homozygous, and those that are different are called heterozygous. In heterozygous pairings, one allele is usually dominant, and the other recessive. Complex traits such as height and longevity are usually caused by the interactions of numerous pairs of alleles, while simple traits such as eye color may be caused by just one pair.

allele in Culture

allele [(ul-leel)]

The sequence of nucleotides on a DNA molecule that constitutes the form of a gene at a specific spot or a chromosome. There can be several variations of this sequence, and each of these is called an allele. In the case of the gene for eye color, for example, one allele codes for blue eyes, whereas the other may code for brown eyes.