2.4 Variation And Inheritance Flashcards
What is discrete variation?
Variation in a population that can be split into groups.
What is continuous variation?
Variation in a population that shows a wide range of values.
What is variation caused by?
The combining gene from two parents within a species.
What is meant by the term gene?
A section of DNA which codes for a protein.
What is meant by the term allele?
Different forms of a gene.
What is meant by the term phenotype?
The characteristics that an organism expresses due to the inheritance of genes. E.g blue eyes
What is meant by the term genotype?
The combination of alleles inherited for a particular gene.
Represented by symbols e.g. BB
What is a Dominant allele
An allele that determines the development of a characteristic. Represented by a capital letter e.g. B
What is a recessive allele?
An allele that will only determine a characteristic if there are no dominant alleles present e.g. bb
What is meant by the term homozygous?
The two alleles inherited are the same e.g. BB or bb
What is meant by the term heterozygous?
The two alleles inherited for a gene are different e.g. Bb
Characteristics that show continuous variation are due to the inheritance of….
Several genes
What term describes a characteristic determined by the inheritance of several genes
Polygenic
Characteristics that show discrete variation are due to the inheritance of….
One or two genes
What is the P generation
The parental generation. Usually when crossing two true breeding (homozygous) individuals.
