any of two or more variants of a gene that have the same relative position on homologous chromosomes and are responsible for alternative characteristics, such as smooth or wrinkled seeds in peas
Also called: allelomorph (əˈliːləˌmɔːf). See also multiple alleles
Derived forms
allelic (alˈlelic)
adjective
allelism (alˈlelism)
noun
Word origin
C20: from German Allel, shortened from allelomorph, from Greek allēl- one another + morphē form