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Cells and Heredity
Mill Creek M.S. Science 7--Wohlford
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Trait | A characteristic that an organism can pass on to its offspring through its genes. |
| Gene | A segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait. |
| Chromosome | A doubled rod of condensed chromatin; contains DNA that carries genetic information. |
| Pedigree | A chart or "family tree" that tracks which members of a family have a particular trait. |
| Genetics | The scientific study of heredity. |
| Heterozygous | Having two different alleles for a trait. |
| Phenotype | An organism's physical appearance, or visible traits. |
| Karyotype | A picture of all the chromosomes in a cell arranged in pairs. |
| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic acid; the genetic material that carries information about an organism and is passed from parent to offspring. |
| Punnett Square | A chart that shows all the possible combinations of alleles that can result from a genetic cross. |
| Dominant | An allele whose trait always shows up in the organism when the allele is present. |
| Recessive | An allele that is masked when a dominant allele is present. |
| Sex-linked Gene | A gene that is carried on the X or Y chromosome. |
| Clone | An organism that is genetically identical to the organism from which it was produced. |
| Probability | The likelihood that a particular event will occur. |
| Meiosis | The process that occurs in sex cells (sperm and egg) by which the number of chromosomes is reduced by half. |
| Allele | The different forms of a gene. |
| Codominance | A condition in which neither of two alleles of a gene is dominant or recessive. |
| Purebred | An organism that always produces offspring with the same form of a trait as the parent. |
| Hybrid | An organism that has two different alleles for a trait; an organism that is hterozygous for a particular trait. |