Genetics

Question 1

phenotype

Answer 1

physical characteristics of an organism

Question 2

independent assortment

Answer 2

one of Mendel’s principles that states that genes for different traits can segregate independently during the formation of gametes

Question 3

homozygous

Answer 3

having two identical alleles for a particular gene

Question 4

tetrad

Answer 4

structure containing four chromatids that forms during meiosis

Question 5

crossing over

Answer 5

process in which homologous chromosomes exchange portions of their chromatids during meiosis

Question 6

diploid

Answer 6

term used to refer to a cell that contains two sets of homologous chromosomes

Question 7

segregation

Answer 7

separation of alleles during gamete formation

Question 8

heterozygous

Answer 8

having two different alleles for a particular gene

Question 9

homologous

Answer 9

term used to refer to chromosomes in which one set comes from the male parent and one set comes from the female parent

Question 10

polygenic trait

Answer 10

trait controlled by two or more genes

Question 11

genetics

Answer 11

scientific study of heredity

Question 12

allele

Answer 12

one of different forms of a gene

Question 13

principle of dominance

Answer 13

Mendel’s second conclusion, which states that some alleles are dominant and others are recessive

Question 14

fertilization

Answer 14

process in sexual reproduction in which male and female reproductive cells join to form a new cell

Question 15

codominance

Answer 15

situation in which the phenotypes produced by both alleles are completely expressed

Question 16

genotype

Answer 16

genetic makeup of an organism

Question 17

haploid

Answer 17

term used to refer to a cell that contains only a single set of genes

Question 18

probability

Answer 18

likelihood that a particular event will occur

Question 19

meiosis

Answer 19

process in which the number of chromosomes per cell is cut in half through the separation of homologous chromosomes in a diploid cell

Question 20

gamete

Answer 20

sex cell

Question 21

punnet square

Answer 21

diagram that can be used to predict the genotype and phenotype combinations of a genetic cross

Question 22

incomplete dominance

Answer 22

situation in which one allele is not completely dominant over another allele

Question 23

gene

Answer 23

sequence of DNA that codes for a protein and thus produces a trait, factor that is passed from parent to offspring

Question 24

trait

Answer 24

specific characteristic of an individual

Question 25

multiple alleles

Answer 25

a gene that has more than two alleles

Question 26

hybrid

Answer 26

offspring of crosses between plants with different traits