What is the Difference Between Multiple Alleles and Lethal Alleles?

Multiple alleles and lethal alleles are two different forms of alleles in genetics. Here are the key differences between them:

Multiple Alleles:

Multiple alleles involve more than just the typical two alleles that generally control a certain character in an organism.
This phenomenon is known as multiple allelism.
A good example of multiple alleles is the ABO blood group system in humans.
In some instances, multiple alleles can result in more complex patterns of inheritance and expression.

Lethal Alleles:

Lethal alleles are responsible for causing the death of the organism that carries them.
These alleles prevent survival when homozygous or heterozygous.
Some alleles associated with human genetic disorders are recessive lethal, such as the allele that causes achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism.
Recessive lethal alleles cause death during embryonic development or the first months of life when an individual is homozygous for the same allele, but they do not cause death when present in a single copy (heterozygous).

In summary, multiple alleles refer to the presence of more than two alleles for a particular gene, while lethal alleles are gene variants that cause the death of the organism carrying them.

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What is the Difference Between Multiple Alleles and Lethal Alleles?

Comparative Table: Multiple Alleles vs Lethal Alleles

Multiple alleles and lethal alleles are two different forms of alleles that give rise to different phenotypes. Here is a table comparing the differences between them:

Feature	Multiple Alleles	Lethal Alleles
Definition	Multiple alleles are three or more alleles for a particular gene in biology.	Lethal alleles are involved in causing the death of the organism that carries them.
Examples	ABO blood group system in humans, coat color in cats, wings of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), potato tuber in plants, and distinct types of virulence of bacteria.	Achondroplasia in humans, lethal yellow allele in mice.
Inheritance Pattern	Multiple alleles can exhibit various inheritance patterns, such as incomplete dominance, codominance, or dominant/recessive.	Lethal alleles can be dominant or recessive and can be expressed in homozygous or heterozygous conditions.
Phenotypic Effects	Multiple alleles can lead to various phenotypes, such as different blood groups, coat colors, or wing shapes.	Lethal alleles often result in the death of the organism or a lethal phenotype, such as an embryo dying early in development.

In summary, multiple alleles involve the presence of three or more gene variants for a particular gene, while lethal alleles are gene variants that can cause the death of the organism carrying them.

Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.