noun
- The condition or state of being heterozygous; the presence of two different alleles at a given locus on homologous chromosomes.
Usage: technical; genetics
Examples
- Heterozygosis in the population increases genetic diversity.
- The heterozygosis of the offspring resulted from crossing two different pure-breeding lines.
- Heterozygosis can provide advantages in certain environmental conditions.
- Scientists studied heterozygosis to understand inheritance patterns in the species.