allele
UK[əˈliːl]US[əˈliːl]
n
One of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.
Morpheme Breakdown
allel
e
allel
mutual
e
suffix
Etymology
The term 'allele' is a shortened form of 'allelomorph', a word coined in the early 20th century by British geneticists William Bateson and Edith Rebecca Saunders. 'Allelomorph' itself was constructed from the Greek 'allēlōn' (of one another, mutual) and 'morphē' (form, shape), literally meaning 'other form' or 'mutual form'. This naming elegantly captures the core genetic concept: alleles are the different, mutually exclusive forms of a gene that occupy the same locus (position) on paired chromosomes. The shortened form 'allele' was later adopted, retaining the core Greek root 'allel-' to signify this relationship of alternative, corresponding forms inherited from each parent.
Analysis
Structure: allel (mutual) + e (suffix)
'allel' is from Greek 'allēlōn', meaning 'of one another' or 'mutual'. The final 'e' is a common noun-forming suffix in scientific terminology.
Examples
The gene for flower color in peas has two common alleles: one for purple and one for white.
A dominant allele will express its trait even if only one copy is present.
Genetic diversity within a population depends on the variety of alleles present.