Heterozygous describes a pair of genes for a trait where the two versions (alleles) are different, such as one dominant and one recessive allele. An organism that is heterozygous may show the dominant trait but still carry the recessive one.
From Greek “hetero-” meaning “different,” and “zygous” from “zygon,” meaning “yoke” or “pair,” related to “zygote.” It literally means “having different pairs” of genes.
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