Genetics Intro Flashcards
(27 cards)
What is Haemochromatosis often referred to as?
‘the Celtic curse’
This term reflects the higher chance of being a carrier among individuals of Irish ancestry.
What does Haemochromatosis result in?
Overload of iron in the blood
Individuals may need to donate blood to manage the condition.
From whom is mitochondrial DNA inherited?
Mother
What is the debate surrounding athletic ability?
Nurture vs nature
What notable discovery did CRISPR/Cas9 lead to?
How to edit the genome
This discovery was awarded the Nobel prize.
What are mRNA vaccines considered a form of?
Genotherapy
They stimulate healthy cells to produce viral proteins for immune response.
How is genomics applied in conservation biology?
To study species and their genetic health
Example: mammoths experienced ‘genomic meltdown’ before extinction.
Why is genetics considered important?
- Key to past evolutionary history of all life
- Genetic engineering and gene therapy
- Conservation genetics
- Forensics
- Agricultural and crop manipulation
What does genetics explain about family resemblance?
Why you should look like your father and if not why you don’t!
What is the definition of genetics?
The study of inheritance
What is heredity?
Transmission of traits from one generation to the next
What does hereditary variation refer to?
Dissimilar traits expressed among generations
What are genes?
Coded information passed to offspring in hereditary units
The definition of genes can be complex.
What is asexual reproduction?
All copies of genes are passed to offspring
Examples include single-celled organisms like bacteria and multicellular organisms like Hydra spp.
How do single-celled organisms reproduce asexually?
By mitosis
Examples include bacteria and amoebas.
What are some methods of asexual reproduction in multicellular organisms?
Budding, fission, and other methods
Examples include Hydra spp., some sea anemones, and certain fish and reptiles.
What is sexual reproduction?
More variation in traits due to uniquely inherited combinations of genes
Individuals are not exact copies of either parent.
What are life cycles in biology?
Generation to generation sequence of stages in the reproductive history of an organism
What are somatic cells?
Any cell in a multicellular organism excluding germ cells
What is a karyotype?
A method organizing the chromosomes of a cell in relation to number, size, and type
What are homologous chromosomes?
Chromosomes that make up a pair with similar length, centromere position, and staining, possessing genes for the same traits
What are sex chromosomes?
Chromosomes that determine sex: female XX, male XY
What are autosomes?
All other chromosomes that are not sex chromosomes
What are gametes?
Reproductive cells with a single chromosome set (e.g. ovum and sperm)
