If peanut butter and albino are alleles, then they are different mutant versions of the same gene. Jelly would be the appearance of an individual that has a PB mutant gene paired with an albino mutant gene (PB//albino). "Heterozygote" is the noun form of "heterozygous"; a heterozygote is an individual that is heterozygous.



The normal version of the peanut butter mutant gene and the normal version of the albino mutant gene are the same gene.



A heterozygous albino snake has an albino mutant gene paired with a normal version of the gene and looks normal. A heterozygous peanut butter snake has a peanut butter mutant gene paired with a normal version of the gene and looks normal. A heterozygous peanut butter//albino snake has an peanut butter mutant gene paired with an albino gene and looks like the jelly snakes.



If albino and PB are alleles, then

1) jelly x jelly --> 1/4 PB, 2/4 jelly, 1/4 albino

2) PB x jelly --> 1/2 PB, 1/2 jelly

3) albino x jelly --> 1/2 albino, 1/2 jelly

4) heterozygous PB x heterozygous albino --> 3/4 normal looking, 1/4 jelly



For what it's worth, both the laboratory mouse and domestic cat have several mutant alleles of the albino mutant gene. Heterozygous individuals with two different mutant genes at the albino genetic locus look more or less intermediate between the two homozygous types. This is also the working hypothesis for ultramelanistic (AKA ultra) and amelanistic in the corn snake.



Paul Hollander

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