Chapter 1: Intro to Genetics Flashcards
what is genetics?
the branch of biology focused on the study of genes genetic variation and heredity
what is a gene?
a physical and functional unit of heredity
what is genetic variation?
diversity of gene frequencies
what is heredity?
the passing of characteristics from one generation to the next
domestication of plants and animals happened between…
8000-1000 B.C.
the dawn of modern biology happened between…
1600-1850
What is preformationism?
the theory that organisms develop from miniature versions of themselves
the theory of epigenesis states that…
an organism develops from fertilized egg through developmental events, transforming egg into adult
the cell theory states that…
all organisms are composed of cells derived from preexisting cells
Gregor Mendel’s paper showed that
traits can be passed from one generation to the next
the human diploid number is
46 (2n=46)
who formulated the chromosomal theory of inheritance?
walter sutton and theodor boveri
what are alleles?
alternate forms of a gene
what are mutations?
variations in genes/alleles of DNA sequences
what is a genotype?
a set of alleles for given trait
what is a phenotype?
expression of genotype; produces an observable trait
what is a drosophila melanogaster? what type of mutation is found in the gene controlling eye color?
- a fruit fly
- mutation which causes a white-eyed fly among normal re-eyed flies
what is the chemical nature of genes?
- chromosomes consists of DNA and protein
- only 4 nucleotides but 20 amino acids
Who and when was DNA proven to be the carrier of genetic information?
Avery, MacLeod, Maclyn, and McCarty in 1944
the structure of DNA was described by…
Watson and Crick in 1953
four differences between RNA and DNA
- usually single-stranded
- contains a ribose sugar
- contains uracil instead of thymine
- complementary to DNA
what is the central dogma of biology?
DNA is transcribed into RNA which is then translated into a polypeptide chain
what are the largest categories of proteins?
enzymes
examples of proteins include
hemoglobin, insulin, collagen, actin, myosin
biochemical or structural properties of proteins play a role in
phenotypes
mutations do not always alter function bc there are ________ and _______ mutations.
synonymous and nonsynonymous
sickle-cell anemia is caused by a mutation in what gene?
beta globin
the mutation in sickle-cell anemia results in a mutant form of
hemoglobin
what is the protein mutation in sickle-cell anemia?
glutamic acid gets changed to valine
glutamic acid is
small and neutral
valine is
large and hydrophobic
hydrophobic sites in valine cause
hemoglobin chains to form
what lead to a new era of biotechnology?
cloning with recombinant DNA
genomics analyzes
genome sequences to study the structure, function, and evolution of genes and genomes
proteomics identifies
the set of proteins present in cells; studies their function and interactions
bioinformatics develops
the hardware and software for processing nucleotide and protein data
describe classical genetics
relies on naturally occurring or induced mutations
describe reverse genetics
- DNA sequence for gene is known
- role and function is studied using gene knockout method
describe gene knockout
make target gene nonfunctional and observes outcome
Why do genetic studies rely on model organisms?
- easy to grow
- short life cycle
- produce many offspring
- genetic analysis is more straightforward
the first human genome came out in ____ and cost _____.
2002
$3 billion
