Genetics?

Question

Genes exist in pairs in diploid organisms and alleles are on a different homologous chromosome.

Can you explain what this means?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Good answer above, except alleles are different versions of the same gene.  

They have been described as different flavors of ice cream...

So, alleles don't have to be on homologous chromosomes.  You may only have 1 type of allele for a given gene or you may have 2.  

Answer 2

Beauty about genetics:  its much more simple than you want to make it out to be.

Simple answer:

They exist in pairs in diploid organisms.... You are diploid, you got one set from momma, and one set from dadda.

alleles are on different homologous chromosomes... You have 46 total chromosomes, 23 from momma, 23 from dadda... they are essentially telling the same stories, with different details.... We number the Chromosomes from 1 to 23, each one has different information, but the information from you momma and your daddy are telling your cells to do the same thing, in a different way (make blue eyes says mommy, make brown eyes says daddy).  The alleles are the traits that are being expressed (eye color?).   So, say eye color is on Chromosome 12 for momma, it is also on Chromosome 12 for daddy.  (homo meaning like, 12 is like 12...)

Hoped this helped!