Kittens from the same litter can look different for a multitude of reasons. The reason each kitten looks different is contained in the genes of each kitten. The genes are located inside the kitten’s 38 chromosomes. Half of the kitten’s chromosomes are inherited from his or her mother, while the other 19 are inherited from his or her father. DNA is tightly coiled inside of each chromosome, and the chromosomes contain genes which are comprised of proteins and nucleic acids, specifically Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C ), and sugar-phosphate. This DNA coding determines genetic differences between kittens, such as sex, eye color, fur color, markings, and more. As previously mentioned, half of a kitten’s chromosomes are inherited from their mother, and the other half are inherited from their father, meaning that the kitten’s DNA is also half and half.
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One of the kitten’s two alleles comes from the father and the other comes from the mother. There are two possible alleles for that gene, a dominant one and a recessive one. The kitten’s physical appearance is known as their phenotype, and whatever alleles the kitten has is known as their genotype. If the kitten’s genotype is two dominant alleles, then that’s what their phenotype will be. This is known as having a homozygous genotype. If a kitten’s genotype is the the two recessive alleles, then that is what their phenotype will be. This is known as a homozygous recessive genotype. However, if a kitten’s genotype is one recessive allele and one dominant allele, than their phenotype will be of the dominant allele. This is because the dominant allele, in this case, will overpower and mask the recessive allele. This is known as a heterozygous
One of the kitten’s two alleles comes from the father and the other comes from the mother. There are two possible alleles for that gene, a dominant one and a recessive one. The kitten’s physical appearance is known as their phenotype, and whatever alleles the kitten has is known as their genotype. If the kitten’s genotype is two dominant alleles, then that’s what their phenotype will be. This is known as having a homozygous genotype. If a kitten’s genotype is the the two recessive alleles, then that is what their phenotype will be. This is known as a homozygous recessive genotype. However, if a kitten’s genotype is one recessive allele and one dominant allele, than their phenotype will be of the dominant allele. This is because the dominant allele, in this case, will overpower and mask the recessive allele. This is known as a heterozygous