Inheritance

Question 1

What is inheritance?

Answer 1

Inheritance is the process by which genetic information is passed from parent to offspring.

Question 2

True or False: Inheritance determines an individual’s physical characteristics.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

What are genes?

Answer 3

Genes are segments of DNA that code for specific traits.

Question 4

Fill in the blank: Genes are located on structures called ________.

Answer 4

Chromosomes

Question 5

What is a genotype?

Answer 5

A genotype is the specific genetic makeup of an individual.

Question 6

What is a phenotype?

Answer 6

A phenotype is the physical expression of an individual’s genotype.

Question 7

True or False: Dominant alleles always show their effect in the phenotype.

Answer 7

True

Question 8

What is a recessive allele?

Answer 8

A recessive allele is one that is masked by a dominant allele.

Question 9

What is a Punnett square used for?

Answer 9

A Punnett square is used to predict the possible genotypes of offspring in a genetic cross.

Question 10

What is a homozygous genotype?

Answer 10

A homozygous genotype has two identical alleles for a particular gene.

Question 11

What is a heterozygous genotype?

Answer 11

A heterozygous genotype has two different alleles for a particular gene.

Question 12

What is the Law of Segregation?

Answer 12

The Law of Segregation states that each individual has two alleles for each gene, which separate during gamete formation.

Question 13

What is the Law of Independent Assortment?

Answer 13

The Law of Independent Assortment states that alleles for different genes are inherited independently of each other.

Question 14

What is a carrier?

Answer 14

A carrier is an individual who has a recessive allele for a genetic disorder but does not exhibit the disorder themselves.

Question 15

What is a sex-linked trait?

Answer 15

A sex-linked trait is a trait that is controlled by genes on the sex chromosomes.

Question 16

What is a pedigree?

Answer 16

A pedigree is a diagram that shows the occurrence of a particular trait within a family.

Question 17

What is genetic counseling?

Answer 17

Genetic counseling is the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological, and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease.

Question 18

What is a genetic disorder?

Answer 18

A genetic disorder is a disease caused by an abnormality in an individual’s DNA.

Question 19

What is cystic fibrosis?

Answer 19

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system.

Question 20

What is sickle cell anemia?

Answer 20

Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder that affects the red blood cells.

Question 21

What is Down syndrome?

Answer 21

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 21.

Question 22

What is a karyotype?

Answer 22

A karyotype is a picture of an individual’s chromosomes arranged in pairs.

Question 23

What is a mutation?

Answer 23

A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of a gene.

Question 24

What is genetic engineering?

Answer 24

Genetic engineering is the process of manipulating an organism’s genes using biotechnology.

Question 25

What is cloning?

Answer 25

Cloning is the process of creating an identical copy of an organism.