Heredity Terms Flashcards
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid; hereditary material that controls all the activities of a cell, contains the information to make new cells, and provides instructions for making proteins
genotype
the inherited combination of alleles
probability
the mathematical chance an event will occur
heterozygous
one dominant and one recessive allele for a trait (hybrid)
alleles
different forms of a single gene
dominant trait
the trait observed when at least one dominant allele for a characteristic is inherited
adenine
one of the four bases that combine with sugar and phosphate to form a nucleotide subunit of DNA; adenine pairs with thymine
recessive trait
a trait that is apparent only when two recessive alleles for the same characteristic are inherited
phenotype
an organism’s inherited appearance
homozygous dominant
two dominant alleles for a trait (purebred)
Punnett Square
a tool used to visualize all the possible combinations of alleles from the parents
homozygous recessive
two recessive alleles for a trait (purebred)
genes
segments of DNA that carry hereditary instructions and are passed from parent to offspring; located on chromosomes
thymine
one of the four bases that combine with sugar and phosphate to form a nucleotide subunit of DNA; thymine pairs with adenine
chromosome
a coiled structure of DNA and protein that forms in the cell nucleus during cell division
