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Genetics Unit VOCAB
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Heredity | The passing on of physical or mental characteristics genetically from one generation to another. |
| Trait | A genetically determined characteristic. |
| Genetics | The scientific study of genes and heredity, focusing on how traits are passed from parents to offspring through DNA. |
| Fertilization | The essential process in sexual reproduction where a male gamete (sperm) and a female gamete (egg) fuse to form a single, diploid cell called a zygote, marking the beginning of a new organism's development. |
| Purebred | An organism resulting from true-breeding or homozygous parents, consistently producing offspring with the same observable characteristics (phenotype) over many generations. |
| Gene | The fundamental unit of heredity, a segment of DNA containing the instructions for a specific trait or body function. |
| Allele | One of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome. |
| Dominant Allele | A version of a gene that expresses its associated trait even when only one copy is present in an individual's genotype. |
| Recessive Allele | A gene version that only expresses its trait when an individual inherits two copies, one from each parent. |
| Hybrid | The offspring of sexual reproduction between two different individuals from distinct breeds, varieties, species, or genera. |
| Punnett Square | A grid diagram used in genetics to predict the probable genotypes (allelic combinations) and phenotypes (observable traits) of offspring from a specific genetic cross. |
| Phenotype | The set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment. |
| Genotype | An organism's complete set of genes, or the specific combination of alleles for a particular trait. |
| Homozygous | An individual who inherits two identical alleles (versions) of the same gene from their parents. |
| Heterozygous | An individual has two different versions (alleles) of the same gene, one inherited from each parent. |
| Incomplete dominance | A genetic trait where neither allele is completely dominant, resulting in a blended or intermediate phenotype in the heterozygote. |
| Codominance | A genetic inheritance pattern where both alleles for a gene are fully and simultaneously expressed in a heterozygous individual, resulting in a unique phenotype that displays both traits distinctly. |
| Multiple alleles | Three or more different forms of the same gene found within a population. |
| Polygenic inheritance | A pattern where a single trait is influenced by two or more genes, resulting in a continuous range of phenotypes, such as height, skin color, and weight. |
| Messenger RNA | A temporary, single-stranded molecule that carries genetic instructions from DNA in the cell's nucleus to ribosomes in the cytoplasm, where it serves as a template for creating proteins. |
| Transfer RNA | A small RNA molecule that functions as an adaptor in protein synthesis, bringing the correct amino acid to the ribosome to match the genetic code on a messenger RNA (mRNA) template. |
| Mutation | A permanent change in a cell's DNA. |
| Sex chromosomes | A pair of chromosomes that determine an individual's biological sex. |
| Sex-linked gene | A gene located on a sex chromosome (X or Y), influencing traits like color blindness or hemophilia that are inherited differently between males and females because of the different sex chromosome combinations (XX for females, XY for males). |
| Carrier | A carrier protein that transports molecules across cell membranes or a genetic carrier, an individual who possesses a recessive gene for a disease but does not show symptoms. |
| Genetic disorder | A condition that results from changes in an individual's DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) sequence. |
| Pedigree | A standardized diagram that shows a family's genetic history, illustrating relationships between family members and tracking the inheritance of specific traits, genetic variations, or diseases across multiple generations. |
| Karyotype | An individual's complete set of chromosomes and a laboratory-produced image of those chromosomes, which are arranged in pairs by size, shape, and number. |
| Selective breeding | The process where humans choose individual organisms with desirable traits (like larger size, higher yield, or specific behaviors) and intentionally breed them to produce offspring that inherit and even enhance those traits over generations. |
| Inbreeding | The mating of closely related individuals, which increases homozygosity and the likelihood of offspring inheriting harmful recessive traits. |
| Hybridization | The mixing of atomic orbitals to form new, hybrid orbitals that better suit molecular bonding and geometry. |
| Clone | An exact genetic replica of a cell, tissue, or organism. |
| Genetic engineering | Uses technology to directly change an organism's DNA to alter its traits, such as adding a beneficial gene, removing a problematic one, or modifying existing DNA. |
| Gene therepy | A technique that treats disease by targeting genetic problems, often by replacing a faulty gene with a working one, silencing a disease-causing gene, or adding a new gene to the body's cells. |
| Genome | The haploid set of chromosomes in a gamete or microorganism, or in each cell of a multicellular organism. |
| Ethics | Bioethics, the systematic reflection on moral, social, and political problems arising from the life sciences. |
| Meiosis | A specialized cell division process in sexually reproducing organisms that reduces a cell's chromosome number by half, producing four genetically unique haploid gametes (sperm or egg cells) from one diploid parent cell. |
| Crossing Over | The genetic exchange between homologous chromosomes during meiosis. |
| Zygote | The single cell resulting from a sperm and egg merging during fertilization. |
| Gametes | A mature haploid male or female germ cell which is able to unite with another of the opposite sex in sexual reproduction to form a zygote. |
| Protein Synthesis | The fundamental biological process where ribosomes create proteins using genetic instructions from DNA. |
| Autosomal Chromosomes | The 22 pairs of numbered chromosomes (1-22) in humans that contain genes for most traits, not directly related to sex. |
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