Inheritance

Question 1

What are inherited characteristics

Answer 1

Inherited characteristics are the characteristics that we inherit from our parents and are controlled by our DNA

Question 2

What are acquired characteristics

Answer 2

Acquired characteristics are characteristics that we pick up as we go through life

Question 3

What are two examples of acquired and inherited characteristics

Answer 3

Inherited: eyes, skin color, hair color
Acquired: tattoos, piercings, dyed hair

Question 4

What are chromosomes

Answer 4

Chromosomes are long threads of DNA in the nucleus that carry genetic instructions

Question 5

How many chromosomes are in the human body

Answer 5

46

Question 6

How many chromosomes are in the gametes

Answer 6

23

Question 7

What are genes

Answer 7

Short sections of DNA that determine a specific characteristic

Question 8

What is Meiosis

Answer 8

Meiosis is cell division in the sex organs that produces haploid gametes with half the number of chromosomes (23)

Question 9

What happens to the gametes during fertilization

Answer 9

The male sex cell containing of 23 chromosomes fuses with the female sex cell to form a diploid zygote with 46 chromosomes

Question 10

What is a haploid and what is a diploid cell

Answer 10

A haploid cell is a cell with half the number of chromosomes. A diploid cell is one with full number of chromosomes

Question 11

What is Mitosis

Answer 11

Mitosis is the process of replication of cells used for growth and repair

Question 12

What are alleles

Answer 12

Alleles are different forms of a gene

Question 13

What are dominant alleles

Answer 13

Dominant alleles are alleles that are always expressed in the phenotype.

Question 14

What are recessive alleles

Answer 14

Recessive alleles are alleles that are are not visible in the phenotype unless when there are two copies of each

Question 15

What is the genotype

Answer 15

The genotype are the alleles that we have

Question 16

What is the phenotype

Answer 16

The phenotype are the observable characteristics of an organism

Question 17

What are homozygous alleles

Answer 17

Homozygous alleles are alleles that are the same for a particular gene

Question 18

What are heterozygous alleles

Answer 18

Heterozygous alleles are alleles that are different for a particular gene

Question 19

What is a homozygous dominant organism

Answer 19

A homozygous dominant organism is when both alleles are dominant

Question 20

What is a homozygous recessive organism

Answer 20

A homozygous recessive organism is when both alleles are recessive

Question 21

When is a recessive allele shown

Answer 21

A recessive allele is shown only when both alleles are homozygous recessive

Question 22

Why is there an approximately equal number of boys and girls

Answer 22

There is an approximately equal number of boys and girls, because the probability of a child being a boy or a girl is 50%. This is because there are equal numbers of X and Y chromosomes in the sperm cell

Question 23

What is the combination of sex chromosomes for a girl

Answer 23

The combination of sex chromosomes is XX for a girl