Heredity Flashcards
Heredity
The passing of genetic traits from parent to offspring
Dominant trait
The trait observed in the first generation when parents that have different traits are bred
Recessive trait
A trait that reappears in the second generation when parents with different traits are bred
Genes
One set of instructions for an inherited trait
Alleles
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; also the combination of genes for one or more specific traits
Probability
The likelihood that a possible future event will occur in any given instance of the event
Homologous chromosomes
Chromosomes that have the same sequence of genes and the same structure
Meiosis
A process in cell division during which the number of chromosomes decreases to half the original number by two divisions of the nucleus, which results in the production of sex cells
Sex chromosomes
One of the pair of chromosomes that determine the sex of an individual
Pedigree
The diagram that shows the occurrence of a genetic trait in several generations of a family
DNA
deokyribonuclic acid, a molecule that is present in all living cells and contains the information the determines the traits that a living thing inherits and needs to live
Nucleotide
In a nucleic-acid chain, a subunit that consists of a sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base
RNA
ribonucleic acid, a molecule that is present in all living cells and that plays a role in protein production
