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heterozygote
This term is used primarily in genetics and biological research to describe an organism's genetic makeup. It carries a neutral, scientific connotation and is used to distinguish an individual from a homozygote, who possesses identical alleles for a specific trait.
In a laboratory or clinical setting, the term often implies a state of genetic diversity that can lead to the masking of recessive traits, which is a central concept in Mendelian inheritance patterns.
Meanings
An individual possessing two different alleles of a particular gene, one inherited from each parent.
The plant was identified as a heterozygote for the flower color trait.