Allelism

/əˈlɛlɪzəm/ noun

Definition

The quality or condition of being allelic; the relationship between alleles of the same gene.

Etymology

From 'allele' plus the suffix '-ism' denoting a condition or theory. Formed in early 20th-century genetics as scientists developed terminology for Mendelian inheritance patterns.

Kelly Says

Allelism is the principle that explains why you might have your mom's eyes but your dad's hair—different genes have different 'versions' competing in your cells, and allelism describes how they interact!

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