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Intro to Genetics
Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Genetics | Scientific study of heredity |
| trait | specific characteristic of an individual |
| Hybrid | offspring of crosses between parents with different traits |
| Gene | sequence of DNA that codes for a protein and thus determines a trait; factor that is passed from parent to offspring |
| Allele | one of a number of different forms of a gene |
| Principle of Dominance | Mendel’s second conclusion, which states that some alleles are dominant and others are recessive |
| Gamete | sex cell |
| Homozygous | having two identical alleles for a particular gene |
| Heterozygous | having two different alleles for a particular gene |
| Phenotype | physical characteristics of an organism |
| Genotype | Gnetic makeup of an organism |
| Punnett Square | diagram that can be used to predict the genotype and phenotype combinations of a genetic cross |
| Independent assortment | one of Mendel’s principles that states that genes for different traits can segregate independently during the formation of gametes |
| Incomplete dominance | situation in which one allele is not completely dominant over another allele |
| Codominance | situation in which the phenotypes produced by both alleles are completely expressed |
| Polygenic Trait | trait controlled by two or more genes |
| Pedigree | chart that shows the presence or absence of a trait according to the relationships within a family across several generations |
| Sex-linked gene | a gene located on a sex chromosome |
| Karyotype | micrograph of the complete diploid set of chromosomes grouped together in pairs, arranged in order of decreasing size |
| nondisjunction | error in meiosis in which the homologous chromosomes fail to separate properly |