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 after disappearing in the first generation when parents with different traits are bred.
gene
on set of instructions for an inherited trait.
alleles
on of the alternative forms of a gene that governs a characteristic, such as hair color.
phenotype
an organism’s appearance or other detectable characteristics.
genotype
the entire genetic makeup of an organism.
probability
the likelihood that a possible future event will occur in any given instance of the event.
meiosis
a process in cell division during which the number of chromosomes decrease 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
a diagram that shows the occurrence of a genetic trait in several generations of a family.
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a molecule composed of two chains that coil around each other to form a double helix carrying the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms and many viruses.
nucleotide
in a nucleic-acid chain, a subunit that consists of a sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogenous.
mutations
the action or process of mutating.
RNA
ribonucleic acid, a molecule that is presentin all living cells and that plays a role in protein production.
