Allele

An allele is a variation form of a gene, which is a segment of DNA that determines a specific trait, like eye color or blood type. Each person inherits two alleles for each gene—one from each parent. These alleles can be identical or different, influencing how a trait appears. For example, the gene for eye color has alleles that produce blue, brown, or green eyes. Variations in alleles contribute to the diversity of traits within a population, and some alleles can carry traits for genetic conditions.