Difference between Gene and Allele
The basic difference between Gene and Allele is so simple we just have to pay attention. A gene is nothing but a specific nucleotide sequence present on the DNA strand which code for functional protein WHILE Alleles are different versions OR variations of the same gene.
A DNA is not just a boring strand of nucleotides, there is about 455-exabyte information present on it. The amazing thing is that there are 1 billion gigabytes in a single exabyte. This information is existing on DNA in the form of genes which are specific sequences for functional proteins.
An allele is two opposite versions of the same gene. Suppose, if we talk about the height of a plant then there are two opposite alleles of the same gene which is height gene. These two opposite alleles are tall and dwarf (short). Only a single allele will be dominant over others either it is a tall allele or dwarf allele in simple words: the plant will be tall or short.
Remember: there are not only two types of alleles of the same gene. Alleles can be of more than two types for example: in Drosophila there are three shapes of wings which means there are three types of alleles of the genes of the wing.
Difference between Gene and Allele side-by-side:
| Gene | Allele | |
| 1. | It is a specific portion of the DNA strand | It is a particular variation of a gene. |
| 2. | Height, skin color, facial characteristics, eye color, and blood groups are genes. | Tall and short height, black and white skin color, square and oval jawline, blue and brown eye color, and A+, B+, A-, B-, OR AB+ are different variations of a gene called alleles. |
| 3. | They are not present in pairs. | They are present in pairs. |
| 4. | All normal humans possess the same genes | All humans are different from each other on the basis of alleles. |
| 5. | Genes pass down to the next generation from parents. | Alleles decide how the next generation will look like. |
Also read: the difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes
What is the Dominant Allele?
Dominant Allele: an allele that surpasses the effect of opposite allele is called dominant allele over others. For eg: In a short person there is a short height allele dominant over tall height allele in that person OR short height allele surpassed the effect of tall height allele that’s why the person is short.
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