Term | Definition |
asexual reproduction | involves one parent, offspring is a CLONE of the parent, NO GENETIC VARIATION therefore decreases the chances of survival of the individual and the species |
bond | chemical link that holds molecules together, when broken, energy is released, when formed, energy is stored |
chromosome | threadlike structure that contains DNA, found in the nucleus |
clone | organism that is genetically identical to the organism from which it was produced |
DNA | material found in all organisms, contains genetic information about the organism, provides instructions for the building of proteins |
egg | gamete (sex cell) of a female, produced in the ovaries, involved in sexual reproduction, contains half the complete set of genetic information, haploid (monoploid) (n) |
expressed | when a gene is "turned on" the trait is seen |
genes | segment of DNA, contains instructions for a specific trait |
genetic engineering | when gene(s) is(are) inserted into the complete set of DNA of another organism EX: Human gene for insulin/growth hormone and bacterial DNA |
genetics recombination | formation of a new combination of genes during sexual reproduction |
heredity | passing of traits from parent to offspring |
mutation | an alteration to the DNA sequence. May have a positive, negative or no effect on the organism |
replicate | to copy |
selective breeding | process of choosing organisms with desirable traits to serve as the parents of the next generation. EX: dog breeding and race horses |
sexual reprodcution | two parents are involved, offspring has genetic variation, increases chances of survival of the individual and the species |
sperm | gamete (sex cells) of a male, produced in the testes, involved in sexual reproduction, motile, carries half of the complete set of DNA, monoploid (haploid) (n) |
nucleotide | section of DNA that contains a sugar, phosphate and nitrogeneous base |
template | pattern for a new molecule. EX: one strand of DNA during DNA replication |
trait | characteristic that is passed from parent to offspring through genes |