Which term describes an alternate form of a gene?

The correct term that describes an alternate form of a gene is allele. Alleles are different versions of the same gene that may produce varying traits in an organism. For instance, if a gene is responsible for flower color, one allele might produce red flowers, while another might produce white flowers.

Understanding alleles is fundamental in genetics, as they contribute to the diversity of traits observed in populations. Each individual inherits two alleles for each gene, one from each parent, leading to combinations that determine specific traits.

In contrast, phenotype refers to the observable traits resulting from the interaction of an organism's genotype with the environment. Genotype refers to the genetic makeup of an organism, specifically the alleles they possess, while a carrier is an individual who has one recessive allele for a trait but does not exhibit that trait phenotypically. Thus, while all these terms are relevant in the study of genetics, allele specifically denotes the variation of a gene itself.