What are the variants of a gene called?

• A. Phenotypes
• B. Genotypes
• C. Alleles
• D. Chromosomes

Answer: (C)

Variants of a gene are referred to as alleles. Each gene has a specific location on a chromosome and can have different forms that may favor certain traits or characteristics, which are the alleles of that gene. For instance, a gene that determines flower color can have a version for red flowers and another version for white flowers. These versions represent different alleles of the same gene.

While phenotypes refer to the observable characteristics or traits of an organism resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment, and genotypes denote the genetic constitution of an individual, alleles specifically focus on the different forms of a gene. Chromosomes, on the other hand, are structures composed of DNA that carry hereditary information and contain many genes, but they are distinct from the concept of alleles, which pertain to variations at the gene level. Thus, the term that encapsulates the variants of a gene accurately is alleles.