An allele is one of different forms of a gene that can exist at a specific spot on a chromosome. Different alleles can lead to different traits, like eye color or blood type.
Shortened from German *Allelomorph* “alternative form,” from Greek *allēlōn* “of one another” + *morphē* “form.” The term was created in early genetics to describe variant gene forms.
Think of a gene as a slot and alleles as different cards that can fill it—each card changes the outcome slightly. Your visible traits are the result of thousands of allele combinations quietly negotiating in every cell.
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