Exam 2: Genetics Flashcards
(123 cards)
What is a genome?
the total DNA in an organism
Why is a genome important to an organism?
a genome is required to make the organism and required for the organism to function properly
When was the human genome project begun?
in 1990
What do our genes determine?
our disease susceptibility and how we may react to certain diseases
What was the first drug produced due to the genome?
insulin
What is gene mutation?
biochemical event leading to the change of DNA sequence
What is polymorphism?
more than one normal allele (alternate forms) at the same locus
What is an example of polymorphism?
blood type
What is meant by congenital?
its a deformity acquired in-utero (not later on)
What is a genotype?
genetic composition/information stored in the triplet codes in DNA (not evident by observation)
What is a phenotype?
an expressed character trait (physical/outward expression) of the genotype
What is meant by polygenic inheritance?
multiple genes at different loci, affecting 1 trait (hair color)
What is meant by multifactorial inheritance?
same as polygenic inheritance but includes environmental factors
What is a karyotype?
numeric classification system of autosomes and sex-chromosomes
What is meant by homozygous?
the same allele
What is meant by heterozygous?
its a mixture of dominant and recessive alleles
What is gene penetrance?
the ability of a gene to express its function
What is gene expression?
the degree to which the phenotype of the gene is expressed
What is the role of chromosomes?
to store basic genetic information
How many pairs of chromosomes do humans have?
23 pairs (22 autosomes and 1 pair of sex chromosomes) - females: 46, XX
- males: 46, XY
Who is impacted by X-lined genetic disorders?
males
Where are DNA molecules stored?
in the nucleus of each human cell
What is the structure of a DNA molecule?
double stranded helix
What is the DNA carried by?
4 nitrogenous bases