heterozygote

noun

het·​ero·​zy·​gote ˌhe-tə-rō-ˈzī-ˌgōt How to pronounce heterozygote (audio)
: a heterozygous individual

Examples of heterozygote in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Though by definition these loss-of-function variants don't kill you, in general there is the assumption that this class of mutants does exhibit some fitness drag (e.g., the fitness of a heterozygote for a variant which is lethal as a homozygote genotype may be ~0.90). Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2012 The heterozygote combinations are for a variety of species, as indicated in the figure text. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2010 Observe that the heterozygote seems to exhibit a value closer to the European/light homozygote than the the African/dark homozygote! Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 25 July 2011 Sickle-cell disease one of the classical illustrations of heterozygote advantage, whereby those who carry one copy of the mutation on the gene have increased fitness vis-a-vis those who carry two normal copies of the gene. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2010 But consider a scenario where one parent is a heterozygote, and the other a homozygote for the dominant trait. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 17 Aug. 2010

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heterozygote was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near heterozygote

Cite this Entry

“Heterozygote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heterozygote. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

heterozygote

noun
het·​ero·​zy·​gote ˌhet-ə-rō-ˈzī-ˌgōt How to pronounce heterozygote (audio)
: a heterozygous individual

Medical Definition

heterozygote

noun
het·​ero·​zy·​gote -ˈzī-ˌgōt How to pronounce heterozygote (audio)
: a heterozygous individual
heterozygotic adjective

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