Genetic Variation Flashcards
What does sexual reproduction give rise to? Why?
Variation, as when gametes fuse one allele comes from each parent
How many pairs of chromosomes do human body cells have?
23
What are the sex chromosomes for females?
XX
What are the sex chromosomes for males?
XY
What are some characteristics controlled by?
A single gene
What are alleles?
Different forms of a gene
What’s a dominant allele?
One that controls the development of a characteristic when it is present on only one of the chromosomes
What’s a recessive allele?
One that controls the development of a characteristic only if the dominant allele is not present
What are chromosomes made up of large molecules of?
DNA
What type of structure does DNA have?
A double helix structure
What’s a gene?
A small section of DNA
Each gene codes for a particular combination of…
Amino acids which make a specific protein
Each person (apart from identical twins) has unique…
DNA
Which process can unique DNA be used to identify individuals in?
DNA fingerprinting
