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Genetics & Biotechnology vocabulary · Inheritance and Population Genetics

Homozygous

Meaning in genetics & biotechnology, with examples

/ˌhoʊmoʊˈzaɪɡəs/adjectiveCore term

In genetics & biotechnology, homozygous means: Having two identical alleles of a particular gene, because the same version was inherited from both parents.

In Turkish: homozigot

How it is used

Used in clinical genetics, model organisms and plant breeding. Patients with a recessive disease are usually homozygous for the variant. In mouse work, a 'homozygous knockout' has both copies of the gene inactivated; people often say 'homs' or write 'KO/KO'.

Example sentences

  1. Both affected siblings are homozygous for the same variant.

  2. Homozygous knockout mice did not survive past birth.

Common collocations

  • homozygous for
  • homozygous variant
  • homozygous knockout
  • homozygous mutant
  • heterozygousHaving two different alleles of a particular gene, one inherited from each parent.
  • recessiveDescribes an allele whose effect only appears when a person has two copies of it, one from each parent.
  • genotypeThe genetic makeup of an individual, usually meaning the specific pair of alleles a person or organism has for a particular gene.
  • knockoutA cell or organism in which a specific gene has been made inactive on purpose, so that researchers can study what happens without it.

More terms: Inheritance and Population Genetics

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