What is the Difference Between Compound Heterozygote and Double Heterozygote?

The main difference between compound heterozygote and double heterozygote lies in the nature of the mutations and the genes they affect.

Compound heterozygote refers to the presence of two different mutated alleles at a particular gene locus, one on each chromosome of a pair. In other words, an organism is a compound heterozygote when it has two recessive alleles for the same gene, but with those two alleles being different from each other (for example, both alleles might be mutated but at different locations). This condition can cause autosomal recessive disorders, where multiple mutations can affect the function of the gene product and lead to disease.

Double heterozygote is an individual who is heterozygous at two gene loci, meaning they have two different alleles for two different genes. In contrast to compound heterozygote, double heterozygote has two genes for dominant conditions, which can result in a different clinical presentation.

In summary, compound heterozygote has two different mutated alleles at a particular gene locus, while double heterozygote has two different alleles for two different genes.

Comparative Table: Compound Heterozygote vs Double Heterozygote

Here is a table comparing compound heterozygote and double heterozygote:

Both compound heterozygote and double heterozygote are types of heterozygous situations, but they differ in the number of gene loci affected and the potential impact on an individual's phenotype.