Multicellular Organisms: Variation & Inheritance Flashcards
What is variation?
The differences in characteristics between members of the same species.
What is discrete variation?
When a characteristic can be put into two or more distinct groups. The characteristic is controlled by alleles of a single gene.
Give 3 examples of discrete variation.
Tongue rolling, ear lobes and fingerprints.
What is continuous varitaion?
When a characteristic shows a range of values between a minimum and a maximum.
Give 3 examples of continuous variation.
Hand span, height, breathing rate.
What does polygenic mean?
Controlled by more than one gene.
What is a genotype?
The forms of a gene passed on from an organism - written in letters
What is a phenotype?
The physical appearance of an organism due to their inherited info. Written in words.
What is recessive?
An allele that is always masked (‘hidden’) by the dominant allele
What is dominant?
An allele which always shows its effect in the phenotype
What is homozygous?
2 of the same
What is heterozygous?
2 different
