Genes and Inheritance Flashcards
What is a Gene?
A gene is a piece of DNA which codes for a characteristic or a trait.
What is a locus?
The position of the gene on a chromosome.
What is an Allele?
An alternative form of a gene.
What is a Phenotype?
the physical trait, that you can see. Ex. Hair col, eye co; etc.
What are Polygenic traits?
Traits that are controlled by more than one gene, with each of those genes having more than one allele.
What are Homozygous alleles?
a pair of alleles that code for the same genetic information.
What are Heterozygous alleles?
A pair of Alleles that are different.
What is a Hemizygous allele?
where only 1 allele can be carried on either sex chromosome…. one only copy of the gene is carried rather then the normal 2 copies. This often is associated with the male gender.
What is Mendel’s Law regarding traits?
The Law of Dominance
What is a dominant alelle?
an alelle that completely dominants/ overtakes the recessive allele which will be expressed in the phenotype.
What is a recessive alelle?
an alelle that wont be physically wont be expressed in the phenotype.
When can the recessive trait be shown in the phenotype?
When the individual lacks the dominant allele.
What is Co-dominance?
alleles that occur when neither trait is fully dominant. Both alleles get to be fully expressed.
What is incomplete dominance?
The expression of 2 alleles in the phenotype that are blended.
Sex linked chromosomes…
traits/ genes that depend on sex.
