Genetics And Genetic Engineering

Question 1

Genetics

Answer 1

A branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms

Question 2

Heredity

Answer 2

Passing on of traits/ characteristics from one generation to the next

Question 3

Gene

Answer 3

A section of DNA (series of nucleotides/ bases) that controls a hereditary characteristic (trait), I.e. It is the basic unit of heredity in living organisms

Question 4

Gene pool

Answer 4

All genes, or genetic information, in a population of sexually reproducing organisms

Question 5

Hox genes

Answer 5

Master control genes that determine the way in which the body develops from a single zygote

Question 6

Epigenetics

Answer 6

The control of genes

Question 7

Genotype

Answer 7

Made up of all the genes an organism carries on its chromosomes which it has inherited from its parents

Question 8

Phenotype

Answer 8

The physical appearance of an organism

Question 9

Housekeeping genes

Answer 9

Genes active in many cell types which make proteins needed for basic functions

Question 10

Homozygous

Answer 10

Pair of alleles at the locus are the same for a particular trait

Question 11

Heterozygous (hybrid)

Answer 11

Pair of alleles a locus are different for particular trait

Question 12

Monohybrid cross

Answer 12

Cross between parents with different alleles for a single gene

Question 13

Generations

Answer 13

P1- parent generation
F1- first filial generation of offspring
F2- second filial generation of offspring

Question 14

Pure breeding plants

Answer 14

Plants that always give rise to offspring that are similar to themselves

Question 15

Complete dominance

Answer 15

A characteristic that is fully expressed in the phenotype of a heterozygous organism is the dominant allele

Question 16

Mendel’s law of segregation

Answer 16

During meiosis, allele pairs separate (segregate) so that gametes have a single allele for each characteristic

Question 17

Mendel’s law of dominance

Answer 17

In a cross of parents that are pure for contrasting traits, only the dominant trait will appear in the phenotype.
Recessive alleles will always be masked by dominant alleles

Question 18

Mendel’s law of independent assortment

Answer 18

The alleles of different genes segregate randomly and independently of one another during gamete formation

Question 19

Haemophilia

Answer 19

Rare, genetically determined condition of frequent, excessive bleeding as the blood clots very slowly

Question 20

Polygenic inheritance

Answer 20

More than one pair of alleles responsible for a single trait

Question 21

Continuous variation

Answer 21

Graduations of a characteristic in a phenotype (e.g. height in humans)

Question 22

Mutation

Answer 22

Sudden change in the genetic make-up (DNA) of an organism

Question 23

Mutagen

Answer 23

Factors that increase the rate of mutations, e.g. environmental factors such as ionizing radiation (UV/ X-Ray), mutagenic chemicals (benzene and carbon tetrachloride), viruses and micro-organisms

Question 24

Neutral mutations

Answer 24

Do not affect life of the organism

Question 25

Autosomal

Answer 25

Related to chromosomes that are not sec chromosomes

Question 26

Albinism

Answer 26

Rare group of inherited genetic disorders that cause the skin, hair or iris of eyes to have little or no colour due to partial or complete absence of the pigment, melanin

Question 27

Carrier

Answer 27

Has a recessive allele and a dominant alleles in each cell, therefore has a normal phenotype

Question 28

SNP

Answer 28

(Single nucleotide polymorphism) -biological markers Genetic variations in a DNA sequence that occur when a single nucleotide is substituted for another nucleotide

Question 29

Genome

Answer 29

Complete set of genetic instructions (genes) necessary to create an organism

Question 30

HGP

Answer 30

-human genome project | International scientific research project set up in 1990

Question 31

Genetic counseling

Answer 31

Health professionals with specialized graduate degrees and experience in the areas of medical genetics and counseling

Question 32

Genetic engineering

Answer 32

Any direct manipulation of an organism’s genes

Question 33

Biotechnology

Answer 33

Using scientific procedures to influence specific processes in living organisms which will benefit humans or improve the environment

Question 34

Recombinant DNA

Answer 34

A form of DNA that does not exist naturally but is created by combining DNA sequences that would not normally occur together

Question 35

GMO

Answer 35

Genetically modified organism | An organism with introduced foreign DNA that results in new and useful traits

Question 36

Vectors

Answer 36

A virus (bacteriophage) or plasmid that transfers foreign genetic material into another cell

Question 37

Plasmid

Answer 37

A circular, double stranded DNA molecule found in bacterial cells that are not part of the bacterial chromosome

Question 38

Insulin

Answer 38

A hormone which lowers the glucose sugar levels in the blood

Question 39

Restriction enzyme

Answer 39

Enzymes which cut DNA strands (which code for insulin) at specific sites to isolate the gene that codes for insulin

Question 40

Ligase enzyme

Answer 40

Occurs naturally in the nuclei of cells and acts as ‘genetic glue’, joining together the ends of two single strands of DNA

Question 41

Cloning

Answer 41

The process of artificially reproducing a gene, set of genes or a whole organism

Question 42

Gene therapy

Answer 42

An experimental genetic engineering technique that replaces a faulty gene or adds a new gene in an attempt to cure disease or improve the body’s ability to fight disease

Question 43

Transformation

Answer 43

The change in a cell or organism brought about by the uptake of introduced, foreign DNA

Question 44

Transgenic organism

Answer 44

An organism that develops from a cell with recombinant DNA

Question 45

Micropropagation

Answer 45

Method of producing plant clones by using plant tissue culture

Question 46

Speciation

Answer 46

Hybridization between two species resulting in a new species

Question 47

Cloning

Answer 47

The process used to create an exact genetic copy of another gene, cell, tissue or organism

Question 48

Clone

Answer 48

Copied material which has the same genetic markup as the original