Heredity: Crash Course #9 Flashcards
What is heredity?
The passing on of genetic traits from parent to offspring
Who was the first person we credit with studying heredity?
Gregor Mendel
What type of plants is Mendel noted to study?
pea plants (we have them in the backyard!)
How many pairs of chromosomes are in human cells?
23
What is a gene?
A section of DNA in a specific location on a chromosome that contains information that determines a trait
When a single gene influences the expression of multiple traits it is called what?
Pleiotropy
What is an allele?
An allele is a form of a gene at a particular position (locus) on a chromosome. Examples are the colors of flowers on pea plants. Some are dominant, some are recessive
Somatic cells are what?
Body cells that are not sperm or egg
How many sets of chromosomes do diploid cells have?
2, one is inherited by each parent
Egg and sperm (sex cells) are called what?
gametes
What is a haploid cell and name two types
A haploid cell has one set of chromosomes, examples are egg and sperm
What is a polyploid cell?
A cell that has two sets of chromosomes in each cell. Strawberries have polyploid cells
A person’s genetic makeup is known as their what?
genotype
If there are two different versions of the same gene a genotype is described as what?
heterozygous
A genotype consisting of two recessive alleles is called what?
homzygous recessive
