BharatNotes Allele
nounUsage in a UPSC answer
Just as a single gene may express itself through different alleles, India's federal idea is realised through competing institutional variants, each State adapting the constitutional template to its own demographic and developmental locus.
Synonyms
Word Family
allele (n), alleles (n pl), allelic (adj), allelomorph (n), allelomorphic (adj)
Root
Greek allos = other → allēl- = one another + morphē = form → German Allelomorph → Allel
Etymology
From German Allel, abbreviation of Allelomorph, from Greek allēl- ("one another," from allos, "other") + morphē ("form"); first used publicly by Frederick Soddy in 1913.
Memory Hook
Hear "a-LEAL" echo Greek allos = "other": an allele is an "other version" of the same gene, alternative forms standing side by side at one locus.
Tip: press Alt+S to hear pronunciation
