Chapter 1 Flashcards
(28 cards)
What has inspired human curiosity and investigation regarding life on Earth?
The myriad of forms that life on Earth exists in.
What significant revolution has taken place in our understanding of the living world in the past 60 years?
A revolution inspired by the discovery of genetic research.
What does DNA provide answers to in biology?
All areas of biology.
List the key questions addressed in the study of genetics.
- What constitutes biological information?
- How does it generate form?
- How is life able to persist?
- What is the basis of hereditary variation?
- How do defective genes cause disease?
- How does genetic research work?
Define ‘Genetics’.
The study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in living organisms.
What is a ‘Gene’?
A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring.
What is DNA?
Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that carries genetic information.
What is a ‘Chromosome’?
A structure within cells that contains DNA and carries genetic information.
What are the different branches of genetics?
- Transmission genetics
- Molecular genetics
- Population genetics
What is a ‘Genome’?
An organism’s complete set of genetic information encoded in its DNA.
What is ‘Genomics’?
The study of genomes, the complete set of DNA within an organism.
What is the significance of model organisms in genetics?
They are crucial for studying genetic mechanisms that are common across species.
What does the chromosomal theory of inheritance state?
- Each parent passes on a half set of chromosomes to their offspring.
- Individual chromosomes possess different qualities and are not interchangeable.
What is mitosis?
The process of cell division that results in two identical daughter cells.
What is meiosis?
The process of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing gametes.
What is a diploid genome?
An organism’s complete set of genetic information, with two sets of chromosomes (2n).
What is a haploid number?
The number of chromosomes in a gamete, represented as (n).
What are homologous chromosomes?
The two members of a chromosome pair in a diploid organism.
What is a mutation?
A change in the DNA sequence.
How can mutations occur?
- Natural cellular mistakes in DNA processing
- Environmental agents (e.g., chemicals, radiation)
What is forward genetics?
A method that starts with a phenotype of interest to discover the underlying gene.
What is reverse genetics?
A method that starts with a gene to determine its function through mutations.
What are restriction enzymes?
Enzymes that cut DNA at or near specific nucleotide sequences.
What is gel electrophoresis used for?
To separate DNA, RNA, and protein molecules by size through a gel matrix.
