Biology - Genetics Unit

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chromosome

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threadlike strand of DNA consisting of chromatin, which carries genes and functions in the transmission of hereditary information; located in cell nucleus; humans have 23 pairs (22 + 1 pair of sex chromosomes)

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chromatin

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substance of a cell nucleus, consisting of DNA, RNA, and various proteins, that forms chromosomes during cell division

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gene

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A hereditary unit consisting of a sequence of DNA that occupies a specific location on a chromosome and determines a particular characteristic in an organism

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zygote

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cell formed by the gametes (the 2 reproductive cells)

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gametes

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sex cells or reproductive cells (sperm and egg)

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allele

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any of several forms of a gene, that are responsible for hereditary variation;

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homozygous

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aired alleles (one on each of two paired chromosomes) that are the same

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heterozygous

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paired alleles (one on each of two paired chromosomes) that are different; one allele is usually dominant, and the other recessive

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dominant allele

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an allele that produces the same phenotype whether its paired allele is identical or different; relating to the form of a gene that expresses a trait

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recessive allele

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an allele that does not produce a characteristic effect when present with a dominant allele

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genetics

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the science of heredity

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Mendel

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Austrian botanist and founder of the science of genetics; discovered the principle of the inheritance of characteristics through the combination of genes from parent cells

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DNA

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nucleic acid that carries the genetic information in the cell and is capable of self-replication and synthesis of RNA; replicates during cell division; each parent contributes one of the two strands in the DNA of the offspring; governs production of proteins and other molecules necessary for cell division

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genotype

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the genetic makeup of an organism; the sum total of genes transmitted from parent to offspring

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phenotype

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the observance of a specific trait based on genetic and environmental influences