Mendelian Inheritance

Question 1

Mendelian inheritance

Answer 1

• common pattern of inheritance observed by Mendel, which involves the transmission of eukaryotic genes that are located on the chromosomes found within the nucleus
• follow the two laws: law of segregation and law of independent assortment

Question 2

Lethal alleles

Answer 2

• one that has the potential of causing the death of an organism
• mostly commonly found in LOF alleles that encode proteins necessary for survival; allele may be due to mutation in nonessential gene that changes a protein so that it functions with detrimental consequences

Question 3

Wild type allele

Answer 3

• an allele that is prevalent in a natural population, generally found in greater than 1% of the population

Question 4

Genetic polymorphism

Answer 4

• prevalence of two or more phenotypic forms in a population
• gene exists in two or more alleles within a population and each allele is found at frequency of 1% or higher

Question 5

GOF

Answer 5

• gain of function mutation
• a mutation that causes a gene to be expressed in an additional place where it is not normally expressed or during a stage of development when it is not normally expressed or at a level that is higher than normal

Question 6

Hybridization

Answer 6

• the mating of two organisms of the same species with different characteristics
• the phenomenon in which two single-stranded molecules renature together to form a hybrid molecule

Question 7

character

Answer 7

• a general characteristic of an organism

Question 8

trait

Answer 8

• the specific properties of a character

Question 9

Morphological traits

Answer 9

• affect the appearance of an organism

Question 10

Physiological traits

Answer 10

• affect the ability of an organism to function

Question 11

Behavioral traits

Answer 11

• affect an organism’s behavior

Question 12

Variants

Answer 12

• versions of a trait
• individuals of the same species that exhibit different traits, such as short and tall

Question 13

true-breeding line

Answer 13

• a strain of a particular species that continues to exhibit the same trait after several generations of self-fertilization in plants, or inbreeding

Question 14

single-factor cross

Answer 14

• a cross in which an experimenter is following the outcome of only a single trait

Question 15

monohybrid

Answer 15

• a heterozygous individual produced from a single-factor cross

Question 16

Parental/ P-generation

Answer 16

• in a genetic cross, the first generation in the experiment
• in Mendel’s studies, the parental generation was true-breeding with regard to particular traits

Question 17

F1 generation

Answer 17

• first filial generation
• the offspring produced from a cross of individuals of the parental generation

Question 18

F2 Generation

Answer 18

• second filial generation
• the offspring produced from a cross of individuals in the F1 generation

Question 19

Dominant

Answer 19

• describes an allele that determines the phenotype in the heterozygous condition

Question 20

Recessive

Answer 20

• refers to a trait or gene that is masked by the presence of a dominant trait or gene

Question 21

Particulate theory of inheritance

Answer 21

• theory proposed by Mendel that states that traits are inherited as discrete units that remain unchanged as they are passed from parent to offspring

Question 22

Allele

Answer 22

alternative form of a specific gene

Question 23

Mendel’s Law of Segregation

Answer 23

• the two copies of a gene segregate from each other during the process that gives rise to gametes

Question 24

Homozygous

Answer 24

• describes a diploid individual that has two identical alleles of a particular gene

Question 25

Heterozygous

Answer 25

• describes a diploid individual that has two different alleles of the same gene