Genetics, Natural Selection and Evalution - The Basics Of Genetics

Question 1

What is DNA?

Answer 1

DNA is short for deoxyribonucleic acid. It is a molecule that is found in all of the cells in your body and contains genes.

Question 2

What are genes?

Answer 2

Genes are regions of DNA that contain the instructions for making a protein. Proteins are molecules that are involved in most of our bodies’ functions.

Question 3

Where is DNA found?

Answer 3

It is found in a cells nucleus and is coiled into structures called chromosomes.

Question 4

What is a karyotype?

Answer 4

It is a picture of all the chromosomes removed from one cell

Question 5

How many pairs of chromosomes do humans have in a cell?

Answer 5

23 pairs

Question 6

How many chromosomes do humans have in one cell?

Answer 6

46

Question 7

Where do organisms chromosomes come from?

Answer 7

From it’s parents through sexual reproduction.

Question 8

The DNA that makes up genes consists of repeats of 4 different letters – _____, _____, _____and _____

Answer 8

A, C, G, T

Question 9

Different forms of a gene are called ______________

Answer 9

Alleles

Question 10

The gene copy (allele) for detached earlobes (which we will call “D”) is dominant to the copy for attached earlobes (“d”). What would happen if your mom gave you the “d” allele and your dad also gave you the “d” allele?

Answer 10

You would have attached earlobes!

Question 11

What if both parents gave you the “D” allele?

Answer 11

You would have detached earlobes!

Question 12

An organism that has 2 IDENTICAL copies (or alleles) of a gene is considered to be _________________ for that gene, (e.g. DD, dd).

Answer 12

HOMOZYGOUS

Question 13

An organisms that has 2 DIFFERENT copies (or alleles) of a gene is considered to be ________________, for that gene (e.g. Dd).

Answer 13

HETEROZYGOUS

Question 14

The combination of alleles that an organism has is called its ___________, (e.g. Dd).

Answer 14

genotype

Question 15

The way the organisms looks is called its ____________, (e.g. detached earlobes).

Answer 15

phenotype

Question 16

Phenotype is determined by ____________!

Answer 16

Genotype

Question 17

Usually letters are chosen based on the __________ trait.

Answer 17

dominant

Question 18

For the __________ trait, it is represented
by the same letter used to represent the
dominant trait however it will be a ________ case letter.

Answer 18

recessive, lower

Question 19

When filling in the middle boxes in the Punnett square, the _________ trait is written before the __________.

Answer 19

dominant, recessive

Question 20

Define Heredity

Answer 20

The passage of genetic information from a parent or parents to offspring

Question 21

Define Hybrid

Answer 21

The offspring of genetically different parents. For example, the offspring of pure FF and ff parents is an Ff hybrid.

Question 22

Define inheritance

Answer 22

The passage of genetic material from parents to offspring. Ex/ for each gene, an organism receives one allele from each parent.

Question 23

Define trait

Answer 23

A characteristic of an organism. Examples of traits include skin colour, eye colour, hair, allergies, and many others.