Heredity Flashcards
Heredity
the passing on of physical or mental characteristics genetically from one generation to another.
Dominant Trait
opposed to a recessive trait which is expressed only when two copies of the gene are present.
Recessive Trait
unit of heredity of all organisms is called a gene, and it can have many different versions called alleles.
Genes
a unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.
Alleles
one of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.
Phenotype
the set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.
Probability
the extent to which something is probable; the likelihood of something happening or being the case.
Homologous chromosomes
pair of chromosomes that contain the same gene sequences, each derived from one parent.
Meiosis
a type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, as in the production of gametes and plant spores.
Sex chromosomes
a chromosome involved with determining the sex of an organism, typically one of two kinds.
Predigree
the record of descent of an animal, showing it to be purebred.
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material 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. Nucleotides form the basic structural unit of nucleic acids such as DNA.
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.
Mutations
the action or process of mutating.
