Definitions

Question 1

Allele

Answer 1

One of for more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.

Question 2

Somatic cells

Answer 2

Any cell of a living organism other than the reproductive cells

Question 3

Genome

Answer 3

The haploid set of chromosomes in a gamete or microorganism, or in each cell of a multicellular organism.
The complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism.

Question 4

Autosome

Answer 4

Any chromosome that is not a sex chromosome

Question 5

Gamete

Answer 5

Reproductive cell of an animal or plant. Female gametes are eggs and male gametes are sperm. Eggs and sperm are haploid and carry one copy of each chromosome.

Question 6

Germ cell

Answer 6

A reproductive cell of the body. Germ cells I are used to produce human reproductive sex cells call gametes.

Question 7

Genotype

Answer 7

Genetic make-up of an organism

Question 8

Phenotype

Answer 8

The set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.

Question 9

Dominant

Answer 9

An allele, agent, or a trait that is expressed and masks the effect of the recessive allele, gene, or trait present.

Question 10

Recessive

Answer 10

The trait masked by the dominant one.

Question 11

Locus/loci

Answer 11

The physical site or location of a specific gene on a chromosome.

Question 12

Homozygous

Answer 12

Having two identical alleles of a particular gene or genes.

Question 13

Heterozygous

Answer 13

Having two different alleles of a particular gene or genes

Question 14

Carrier

Answer 14

A person who can pass an inherited (genetic) disease on to their children but who does not have the disease.

Question 15

Monohybrid cross

Answer 15

The offspring of two individuals that differ in respect of a single gene.

Question 16

Hybrid

Answer 16

The offspring of two plants or animals of different species or varieties, such as a mule.

Question 17

Meiosis

Answer 17

A single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half of the original amount of genetic information.

Question 18

Mitosis

Answer 18

Cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus, typical of ordinary tissue growth.

Question 19

Simple inheritance

Answer 19

The inheritance of traits controlled by a single gene with two alleles, one of which may be completely dominant to the other.

Question 20

Polygenic inheritance

Answer 20

The inheritance of a trait governed by more than one gene.

Question 21

Sex-linked inheritance

Answer 21

Inherited through one of the sex chromosomes, which are the X and Y chromosomes.

Question 22

Autosomal recessive disease

Answer 22

When someone inherits two changed genes (mutations), one from each parent. Usually passed on by two carriers.

Question 23

Autosomal dominant disease

Answer 23

If you get the abnormal gene from only one parent, you can still get the disease.

Question 24

Hypoxia

Answer 24

An absence of enough oxygen in the tissues to sustain bodily functions

Question 25

Anemia

Answer 25

Lack of red blood cells or dysfunctional red blood cells in the body. Leads to reduced oxygen flow to the body’s organs.

Question 26

Biotechnology

Answer 26

The exploitation of biological processes for industrial and other purposes, especially the genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones, etc.

Question 27

Bioengineering

Answer 27

The use of artificial tissues, organs, or organ components to replace damaged or absent parts of the body, such as artificial limbs an heart pacemakers.

Question 28

Short tandem repeats

Answer 28

DNA sequences that involve a repetitive unit or 1-6 bp (1), forming series with lengths of up to 100 nucleotides.

Question 29

Amplification

Answer 29

A nuclei acid molecule is enzymatically copied to generate a progeny population with the same sequence as the parental one.

Question 30

Splicing

Answer 30

Introns, the non coding regions of genes, are excised out of the primary messenger RNA transcript, and the exons (coding regions) are joined together to generate mature messenger RNA.

Question 31

Restriction enzymes

Answer 31

A protein isolated from bacteria that cleaves DNA sequences at sequence-specific sites, producing DNA fragments with a known sequence at each end.