Section 3.1(Genes) Flashcards
What is a genome?
The whole of the genetic information of an organism is its genome.
A full strand of DNA
How does DNA store its information?
DNA stores its information in the sequence of its four nitrogenous bases, abbreviated as A, T, C, and G.
What do the nitrogenous bases do?
They specify which amino acid to use in building proteins. These proteins then regulate cellular reactions.
What is a gene?
A gene is a short stretch of DNA that influences a specific characteristic.
What is a chromosome?
Organisms store their genes on long stretches of DNA called chromosomes.
What is a Locus?
The location of a gene on a chromosome
What are alleles?
The different, specific forms of a gene
Diploid vs Haploid
Having a pair of each kind of chromosome is called the diploid state; having one copy of each chromosome is the haploid state.
Are humans haploid or diploid?
Diploid
Homozygous vs Heterozygous
homozygous for a gene if you have two copies of the same allele; you are heterozygous if you have two different alleles.
What is a genotype?
The alleles you have for a gene
What is a phenotype
The trait you have as a result of your alleles
