An allele is:

An allele is:

• A. A start codon
• B. Variation of a gene; e.g., the gene variations for blue, green, brown eyes are alleles
• C. The complete genome
• D. A type of amino acid

Answer: (B)

Alleles are different versions of the same gene that occupy the same position on paired chromosomes. These variants explain why traits can differ among individuals, such as eye color, where blue, green, and brown are different versions of the gene that influences eye color. Because of this, an allele is best described as a variation of a gene. In contrast, a start codon signals where translation begins, the complete genome is the entire set of genetic material, and an amino acid is a building block of proteins.

Alleles are different versions of the same gene that occupy the same position on paired chromosomes. These variants explain why traits can differ among individuals, such as eye color, where blue, green, and brown are different versions of the gene that influences eye color. Because of this, an allele is best described as a variation of a gene. In contrast, a start codon signals where translation begins, the complete genome is the entire set of genetic material, and an amino acid is a building block of proteins.