What does a homozygote refer to in genetics?

A homozygote refers to an organism that has two identical alleles for a particular gene. This means that for that specific trait, the genetic makeup is uniform, whether the alleles are dominant, recessive, or a combination that doesn't affect the expression of the trait differently. For example, if an organism has two alleles for the color of a flower, both being the same allele for red color, then that organism is considered homozygous for that trait.

Understanding the significance of being homozygous is essential in genetics, as it can affect how traits are expressed and inherited in future generations. In contrast, having two different alleles would characterize an organism as heterozygous, while having one or no alleles does not fall under the definition of a homozygote. This clear distinction in allele composition is foundational in determining inheritance traits and patterns in genetic studies.