Genetics and inheritance Flashcards
(23 cards)
what is DNA?
complex polymers made up of two strains which form a double helix
what does DNA do?
carries the genetic information for development and functioning and determines the characteristics of a living organism
what are the four bases?
- guanine-cytosine
- adenine-thymine
what is a chromosome?
- contained within the nucleus of the cell
- carry long threads of DNA
what is a gene?
small sections of DNA on the chromosome that code for a particular sequence of amino acids
what is an allele?
different versions of the same gene
what is a genotype?
persons sequence of DNA
what is a phenotype?
how the genotype is expressed
what are the two types of alleles?
- dominant (BB)
- recessive (bb)
what is a homozygous individual?
has two alleles that produce the same characteristic (BB or bb)
what is a heterozygous individual?
has alleles that produce different characteristics (Bb)
what are the three laws of inheritance?
- law of dominance and uniformity
- law of segregation
- law of independent assortment
what is formed through meiosis?
gametes
what is in-breeding?
the mating of two individuals that are more closely related than two randomly chosen individual of the population
what is the purpose of in-breeding?
to increase the chance of homozygous genes
what is line breeding?
choosing parents who have a common ancestor but are not first or second degree relatives
what is the aim of line breeding?
to maintain or improve specific traits
what is outcrossing?
- mixing different breeds
what is the purpose of outcrossing?
to increase genetic diversity by introducing distantly related genes
what is hip dysplasia caused by?
an abnormal development of structures that make up the hip joint
what is the score for the hip dysplasia scheme out of?
0-53
what is chiari-like malformation?
a fault in the development of the skull which causes part of the brain to protrude from the back of the skull
