heredity Flashcards
gene
one set of instructions for an inherited trait
allele
one of the alternative forms of a gene that governs a characteristic,such as hair color
phenotype
an organisms appearance or other detectable characteristic
genotype
the entire genetic makeup of an organism
probability
the likelihood that a possible future event will occur i any given instance of the event
heredity
the passing of genetic traits from the parents to offspring
dominant trait
the trait observed in the first generation when parents that have different traits are bred
recessive trait
a trait that reppears in the second generation after disappearing in the first generation when parents with different traits are bred
meiosis
a process where a single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half the original amount of genetic information
Sex chromosomes
a chromosome involved with determining the sex of an organism, typically one of two kinds
pedigree
the recorded ancestry, especially upper-class ancestry, of a person or family
DNA
a self-replicating material that is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.
Nucleotide
a compound consisting of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group. Nucleotide form the basic structural unit of nucleic acids such as DNA.
mutations
the changing of the gene,resulting in a variant form that may be transmitted to subsequent generations,caused by the alteration of single base units in DNA,or the deletion,insertion,or rearrangement of larger sections of genes or chromosomes665
RNA
ribonucleic acid, a nucleic acid present in all living cells. Its principal role is to act as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins, although in some viruses RNA rather than DNA carries the genetic information
