Symbols are used to denote the alleles, or genotype, of a locus.
Phenotype depends on the alleles that are present, their dominance relationships, and sometimes also interactions with the environment and other factors.
In a diploid organism, the alleles can be homozygous, heterozygous or hemizygous.
Allelic interactions at a locus can be described as dominant vs. recessive, incomplete dominance, or co-dominance.
Two different genes can be on the same chromosome (linked) or on different ones (unlinked)
Steps:
Can you identify the mutant? Name the gene after its phenotype
If you cannot tell which allele is mutant, name the gene after the recessive allele
Capitalize the first letter for the dominant allele; use lower-case for the recessive allele
If genes are linked, write the gene symbols together on each side of the slash. If genes are unlinked, they appear on different sides of a semicolon