Question | Answer |
genotype | actual gene combination of an organism |
phenotype | the physical appearance of an organism |
genetics | the scientific study of heredity |
alleles | the different forms of a gene |
traits | a distinguishing quality that can be passed from one generation to another |
recessive allele | an allele whose trait is masked in the presence of a dominant allele |
genes | segments of DNA that carry hereditary instructions and are passed from parent to offspring |
hybrid | an organism with two different alleles for a trait |
heredity | the passing of traits from parents to offspring |
dominant allele | an allele whose trait always shows up in the organism |
mutation | a change in the order of the bases in an organism's DNA |
pedigree | a diagram of family history used for tracing a trait through several generations |
genetic engineering | allows scientists to transfer genes from one organism to another |
probability | the mathematical chance that an event will occur |
selective breeding | the breeding of organisms that have a certain desired trait |
law of independent assortment | each gene pair is inherited independently from the gene pairs for all other traits |
law of segregation | passing of only one gene for each trait |
incomplete dominance | when one trait is not completely dominant over another (each allele has its own degree of influence) |
sex cells | carries half the number of chromosomes found in other body cells |
offspring | resulting organism |
parent | original organism |
self-pollinating plant | has female and male reproductive structure |
true-breeding plant | all offspring have the same traits as the parent |
cross pollination | pollen from one plant fertilizes the ovule fo a flower on a different plant |
homozygous | two dominant or two recessive alleles (genes)- PP or pp |
heterozygous | one dominant and one recessive allele (gene)- Pp |
homologous chromosomes | chromosomes that have the same sequence of genes and the same structure (like a pair of shoes) |
meiosis | copying process that produces cells with half the usual number of chromosomes. Sex cells are made and each receives one-half of each homologous pair |
human egg cell has ____ chromosomes | 23 |
The union of the egg cell and sperm cell produces ___ chromosomes | 46 |
sex chromosomes | one of the pair of chromosomes that determine the sex of an individual |