What are alleles?

Alleles are defined as different forms of a gene that can exist at a specific locus on a chromosome. Each gene can have multiple variations, which are the alleles. For example, there could be an allele for brown eyes and another for blue eyes at the same location on a pair of chromosomes. This variation is crucial for the diversity of traits within a population, as it contributes to differences in characteristics, such as eye color, flower color, or any other trait in organisms.

Understanding that alleles are variations of a gene helps clarify how inherited traits can differ between individuals. In many cases, one allele may be dominant over another, influencing the phenotype exhibited by the organism. Hence, the notion of alleles plays a vital role in genetics, particularly in the study of inheritance patterns and genetic diversity.