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im guessing we are assumeing there is not obvious phenotype to tell us what the genotype is then (otherwise the answer is simply, look).

if you know the area around the gene you are looking at you could amplify it by PCR and sequence it. if your organism is hetrozygous, you will get two peaks for each possition where the alleles don't have the same sequence.

alternitively, if the two alleles are sugnificantly different, you could design separate PCR primers, to give different sized PCR products depending on what allele they annealed to. therfor by looking at the size of your PCR products after being run on an agarose gel, you can determine (if you have one band) if the organism is homozygous or not (if there is two).

also, if one allele has a restriction site in it, again do PCR, but this time digest the DNA with the restriction enzyme and by looking at the products you can determine what alleles were present. only two smaller fragments would be homozygous for the allele with the restriction site, only one large fragment would be homozygou for the allele without and all three fragments would be hetrozygous.

i have assumed your organism is diploid, otherwise you would be required to devise several tests like those above to determine your genotype.

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13y ago
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5mo ago

An organism is homozygous if it has two identical alleles for a specific gene. This can be determined through genetic testing or breeding experiments. In contrast, an organism is heterozygous if it has two different alleles for a gene. This can be identified through genetic crosses and observing the resulting phenotypes in offspring.

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9y ago

In test cross the female is crossed with homozygous recessive male. If all the off springs of this cross are phenotypically alike, the female parent is homozygous dominant. If half of these off springs are of different type, the female parent is heterozygous.

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14y ago

By test cross.

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12y ago

test cross

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Q: How could one determine is an organism is homozygous or heterozygous?
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What is the difference between homozygous and heterozygous organism?

A homozygous organism has two identical alleles for a particular gene, while a heterozygous organism has two different alleles for the same gene. In homozygous individuals, both alleles are either dominant or recessive, whereas in heterozygous individuals, one allele is dominant and the other is recessive.


What is the heterozygous for the A allele?

Heterozygous for the A allele means having one copy of the A allele and one copy of a different allele (e.g., a or B) at a particular gene locus. In genetics, the term heterozygous refers to an individual possessing two different forms (alleles) of a particular gene.


What is the purpose of a test cross?

A test cross is used to determine the genotype of an individual showing a dominant trait. By crossing the individual with a homozygous recessive individual, the inheritance pattern can be observed to determine if the individual is heterozygous or homozygous for the dominant trait.


What is the difference between a homozygous individual and a heterozygous individual?

A homozygous individual carries two of the same allele for a specific gene, while a heterozygous individual carries two different alleles for the same gene. This affects the individual's genetic makeup and can influence their phenotypic traits.


Why is it difficult to determine the genotype of an organism that has a dominant phenotype?

It is difficult to determine the genotype of an organism with a dominant phenotype because the dominant phenotype masks the expression of the recessive allele. As a result, it is not possible to determine if the organism is homozygous dominant or heterozygous for that trait without further genetic testing or analysis.

Related questions

What is a synonym for a homozygous?

Homozygous is the state of the two alleles of a gene both being dominant.A synonym could be same and an antonym could be heterozygous.


What genotype could be described as heterozygous?

Yes - Hh is heterozygous. HH is homozygous, and hh is homozygous.


What is the difference between homozygous and heterozygous organism?

A homozygous organism has two identical alleles for a particular gene, while a heterozygous organism has two different alleles for the same gene. In homozygous individuals, both alleles are either dominant or recessive, whereas in heterozygous individuals, one allele is dominant and the other is recessive.


Is AA an homozygous or an heterozygous?

AA could be either homozygous or heterozygous, depending on whether the individual inherited the same allele (A) from both parents (homozygous) or different alleles (Aa) from each parent (heterozygous).


What is the difference between homozygous and heterozygous?

Homozygous refers to having two of the same alleles for a specific gene, either dominant or recessive. Heterozygous refers to having two different alleles for the same gene, one dominant and one recessive.


What is the heterozygous for the A allele?

Heterozygous for the A allele means having one copy of the A allele and one copy of a different allele (e.g., a or B) at a particular gene locus. In genetics, the term heterozygous refers to an individual possessing two different forms (alleles) of a particular gene.


Is the plant with flowers homozygous or Heterozygous?

Either. It matters. Since white is dominant, the allele (saying it is T for white and t for purple) could be either TT or Tt and still come out white. If the white flower is a purebred, then it is homozygous, therefore, TT. However, the flower could be white and be heterozygous.


How could a guinea pig breeder whether a rough-coated guinea pig is homozygous or heteorzygous for this trait?

A breeder could determine if a rough-coated guinea pig is homozygous or heterozygous by conducting a test mating. Breeding the rough-coated guinea pig with a smooth-coated guinea pig would show if the rough coat is dominant or recessive. If all the offspring have rough coats, it indicates the rough-coated guinea pig is homozygous for the trait. If both rough and smooth-coated offspring are produced, then the rough-coated guinea pig is heterozygous.


What type of alleles are present in an organism?

Capital letters usually denote dominant alleles. Therefore QQ genotype would contain two dominant alleles for the Q genotype.


What is the purpose of a test cross?

A test cross is used to determine the genotype of an individual showing a dominant trait. By crossing the individual with a homozygous recessive individual, the inheritance pattern can be observed to determine if the individual is heterozygous or homozygous for the dominant trait.


What is the term used to refer to an organism that has two indentical alleles for the particular trait?

The term used to refer to an organism that has two indentical alleles for the particular trait is homozygous. A trait could be homozygous dominant (TT), homozygous recessive (tt), or homozygous for incomplete dominance (rr).


What is an analogy for homozygous?

An analogy for homozygous could be having two identical keys that can fit into the same lock perfectly. Each key is identical to the other, just like homozygous alleles contain the same version of a gene.