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an individual who is heterozygous for a recessive disorder is called a

An individual who is heterozygous for a recessive disorder is called a carrier.

Quick Scoop: What That Means

  • A carrier has one normal (non-mutated) allele and one mutated allele for a recessive disorder.
  • Because the normal allele is dominant, carriers usually do not show disease symptoms.
  • Even without symptoms, they can pass the mutated allele to their children, who may develop the disorder if they inherit another mutated allele from the other parent.

In genetics class and exam questions, the standard term for “an individual who is heterozygous for a recessive disorder” is carrier.

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