heterozygous: term used to describe alleles that are different at a particular locus within an organism
homozygous: term used to describe alleles that are the same at a particular locus within an organism
Terms to watch out for
heterozygous, homozygous
HIV
See AIDS, HIV
home
See hone, home
homeologue
homogeneous, homogenous
homogeneous: composed of parts that are all of the same kind; not heterogeneous
homogenous: corresponding in structure because of a common origin (usually replaced by homologous)
homogenous
homologue
homology
homozygous
hone, home
hone: to sharpen, to make more accurate, to improve through practice (eg to hone one’s skills)
home (as a verb): to return home
home in: to proceed towards a target
Hone is commonly confused with home in the phrase home in. It is not possible to hone in on a target.
hybrid
hypothesis, law, theory
hypothesis: a tentative explanation for an observation or phenomenon that can be tested by further investigation. See also null hypothesis
theory: a hypothesis (or set of hypotheses) that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted. It often contains some explanatory content and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena (eg Darwin’s theory of evolution, Newton’s theory of gravitation, Einstein’s theory of general relativity, the microorganism theory of infectious disease)
law: a principle presented as a bold statement that explains observations and has such good predictive power that it has been accepted to be universally true (eg Newton’s laws of motion). A law is different from a theory because it provides information on what will happen, not why it happens. Principle and law have similar meanings in this context, although a principle may have more explanatory content