Inheritance Flashcards
Inheritance
The transmission of genetic information from generation to generation
Chromosome
A thread-like structure of DNA, carrying genetic information in the form of genes
Gene
A length of DNA that codes for a protein
Allele
A version of a gene
Haploid nucleus
A nucleus containing a single set of unpaired chromosomes, e.g. in gametes
Diploid nucleus
A nucleus containing two sets of chromosomes, e.g. in body cells
Mitosis
Nuclear division giving rise to genetically identical cells
Meiosis
Reduction division in which the chromosome number is halved from diploid to haploid resulting in genetically different cells
Genotype
The genetic make-up of an organism in terms of the alleles present
Phenotype
The observable features of an organism
Homozygous
Having two identical alleles of a particular gene
Heterozygous
Having two different alleles of a particular gene
Dominant
An allele that is expressed if it is present
Recessive
An allele that is only expressed when there is no dominant allele of the gene present
Sex-linked characteristic
A characteristic in which the gene responsible is located on a sex chromosome and that this makes it more common in one sex than in the other
