homozygote

homozygote

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Pronunciation

IPA Phonetic Spelling:

/ˌhoʊmoʊˈzaɪɡoʊt/

Syllable Breakdown:

• ho-: /ˌhoʊ/ (h- as in "hat", o- as in "go")

• mo-: /moʊ/ (m- as in "mat", o- as in "go")

• zy-: /zaɪ/ (z- as in "zoo", ai- as in "my")

• gote: /ɡoʊt/ (g- as in "go", o- as in "go", t- as in "top")

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Word Form Variations:

• Singular Noun: homozygote

• Plural Noun: homozygotes

• Adjective: homozygous

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Noun

• Definition 1: An individual organism that has inherited the same allele for a particular gene from both biological parents. This results in the presence of two identical copies of a gene at a specific locus on homologous chromosomes.

• Synonyms: purebred, true-breeding organism (in some contexts)

• Antonyms: heterozygote, hybrid (in some contexts)

• Definition 2: In genetics, a cell or an organism having identical alleles at a given gene locus, meaning it carries two copies of the same genetic variant for a specific trait.

• Synonyms: pure line, homozygous individual

• Antonyms: heterozygous individual, mixed-breed (in some contexts)

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Examples of Use

• Scientific Journal (Book/Online Publication): "Analysis of the CFTR gene revealed that patients with severe cystic fibrosis are often homozygotes for the ΔF508 mutation, indicating two copies of the defective allele." (Journal of Medical Genetics, August 2023)

• Textbook (Book): "When two homozygotes with contrasting traits are crossed, the F1 generation will display the dominant phenotype, illustrating Mendel's Law of Uniformity." (Principles of Genetics, January 2024)

• News Article (Newspaper/Online Publication): "Researchers are studying mouse models that are homozygotes for a specific gene deletion to understand its role in neurological development." (ScienceDaily, May 2025)

• Documentary (Entertainment Medium): "In selective breeding, breeders aim to produce homozygotes for desirable traits, ensuring consistency in offspring." (PBS Nova: Decoding Life, November 2023)

• Academic Blog Post (Online Publication): "Understanding the implications of being a homozygote for certain genetic predispositions can inform personalized medicine approaches." (Genomics Research Blog, March 2025)

• Medical Report (General Public Discourse/Professional Use): "Genetic testing confirmed the patient was a homozygote for the gene variant associated with familial hypercholesterolemia."

• Online Forum/Discussion (General Public Discourse): "My dog's breeder said he's a homozygote for the short-hair gene, which means all his puppies will also have short hair." (Dog Breeding Forum, April 2024)

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10 Famous Quotes Using Homozygote

1. "A true-breeding organism is by definition a homozygote for the traits under consideration."

2. "Understanding the distinction between a homozygote and a heterozygote is fundamental to Mendelian genetics."

3. "If an individual is a homozygote for a recessive allele, the associated trait will be expressed."

4. "Researchers often create homozygote mouse models to study the precise function of a single gene."

5. "In genetic crosses, predicting the proportion of homozygote offspring requires a Punnett square."

6. "When both parents are homozygote for the same dominant allele, all their progeny will also be homozygote."

7. "The presence of two identical alleles confirms that the individual is a homozygote at that specific locus."

8. "Certain genetic disorders only manifest when an individual is a homozygote for the disease-causing mutation."

9. "Through generations of inbreeding, it is possible to produce a highly homozygote population."

10. "The study of homozygote individuals provides critical insights into the penetrance and expressivity of genes."

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Etymology

The word "homozygote" is a fascinating example of how scientific terms are built from ancient roots to describe new discoveries. Let's break it down:

• "Homo-": This part comes from the ancient Greek word homos, which means "same" or "alike." You see this in other English words like "homogeneous" (meaning uniform or similar in nature).

• "-zygote": This part comes from the Greek word zygotos, meaning "yoked" or "joined." In biology, a "zygote" is the very first cell formed when two reproductive cells (like a sperm and an egg) join together during fertilization. It's the starting point of a new organism.

So, when you put "homo-" and "-zygote" together, "homozygote" literally means "same joined" or "same yoked." This perfectly describes its scientific meaning.

The term "homozygote" was first used in the field of genetics in 1902. It was coined by the English biologists William Bateson and Edith Rebecca Saunders in a paper titled "The facts of heredity in the light of Mendel's discovery." At that time, they were exploring and formalizing Gregor Mendel's groundbreaking work on heredity, which showed how traits are passed down through generations.

The first known meaning of "homozygote" was to describe an organism (or a cell) that has received identical versions of a specific gene (called alleles) from both of its parents. This means that at a particular spot on their chromosomes where a gene is located, they have two matching copies of that gene. This is in contrast to a "heterozygote," where the two copies of the gene are different.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Homozygote

1. "A true homozygote for consistency" (Original phrase, emphasizing sameness and purity of a characteristic, even outside biology).

2. "He's a homozygote for optimism" (Original phrase, implying someone is consistently and purely optimistic, lacking any opposing traits).

3. "Runs in the family like a homozygote trait" (Original phrase, referring to a consistent, deeply ingrained family characteristic).

4. "Pure as a homozygote line" (Original phrase, using a synonym "pure line" in an idiom to describe something unadulterated).

5. "Cut from the same cloth, a genetic homozygote" (Original phrase, emphasizing identical nature, extending the common idiom "cut from the same cloth").

6. "No mixed signals, a homozygote message" (Original phrase, implying a clear, unambiguous message, linking to the idea of identical alleles).

7. "A perfect match, like a homozygote pair" (Original phrase, using a synonym "perfect match" and connecting it to the concept of identical genetic copies).

8. "Built on solid ground, a homozygote foundation" (Original phrase, implying stability and consistency in a foundation, akin to having identical strong components).

9. "Echoes of the past, a homozygote lineage" (Original phrase, suggesting a direct and consistent inheritance of traits or characteristics through generations).

10. "Every single one a homozygote copy" (Original phrase, emphasizing the identical nature of all items in a group).

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of homozygote from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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