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A haplotype is the genetic constitution of an individual with respect to one member of a pair of allelic genes. A haplotype can refer to only one locus or to an entire genome. A genome-wide haplotype would comprise half of a diploid genome, including one allele from each allelic gene pair.
A genotype is distinct from a haplotype because an individual's genotype may not uniquely define that individual's haplotype.
As an example, consider two loci, each with two possible alleles, the first locus being either A or a, the second locus being B or b.
If the genotype of an individual was found to be AaBb, there are two possible sets of haplotypes, corresponding to which pairs happen to occur on the same chromosome:
| haplotype at
chromosome 1 | haplotype at
chromosome 2
|
| haplotype set 1
| AB
| ab
|
| haplotype set 2
| Ab
| aB
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In this case, more information would be required to determine which particular set of haplotypes occur in the individual (i.e. which alleles appear on the same chromosome).
See also
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