What is a chimera?

What is a chimera?

• A. An individual who has homozygous alleles for a specific gene
• B. An individual who has some cells containing the new gene and some cells without the new gene
• C. An individual who has a gene absent or turned off due to a mutation in all its cells
• D. An individual who has both copies of a gene absent or turned off

Answer: (B)

A chimera is an organism that contains two or more genetically distinct groups of cells, usually originating from different zygotes. This means different parts of the body can carry different genetic makeups. The statement about having some cells with the new gene and others without captures that mix of genetic lineages within one individual—the hallmark of a chimera. The other descriptions portray a uniform genetic status across all cells, such as all copies of a gene being the same (homozygosity) or a gene being absent in every cell due to a mutation or deletion, which is not what a chimera represents.

A chimera is an organism that contains two or more genetically distinct groups of cells, usually originating from different zygotes. This means different parts of the body can carry different genetic makeups. The statement about having some cells with the new gene and others without captures that mix of genetic lineages within one individual—the hallmark of a chimera.

The other descriptions portray a uniform genetic status across all cells, such as all copies of a gene being the same (homozygosity) or a gene being absent in every cell due to a mutation or deletion, which is not what a chimera represents.