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BMMS Life Sci Chpt 5
Genetics
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| heredity | The passing of physical characteristics from parents to offspring. |
| trait | Each different form of a characteristic. |
| genetics | The scientific study of heredity. |
| fertilization | A new organism begins to form when an egg and sperm join in this process. |
| purebred | The offspring of many generations that have the same traits. |
| gene | The factors that control a trait. |
| alleles | The different forms of a gene. |
| dominant allele | An allele whose trait always shows up in the organism when the allele is present. |
| recessive allele | Hidden whenever the dominant allele is present. |
| hybrid | An organism that has two different alleles for a trait. |
| probability | A number that describes how likely it is that a certain event will occur. |
| Punnett square | A chart that shows all the possible combinations of alleles that can result from a genetic cross. |
| phenotype | An organism's physical appearance, or visible traits. |
| genotype | An organism's genetic makeup, or allele combination. |
| homozygous | An organism that has two identical alleles for a trait. |
| heterozygous | An organism that has two different alleles for a trait. |
| codominance | The alleles are neither dominant nor recessive; therefore, both alleles are expressed in the offspring. |