Module 1 Flashcards
(18 cards)
The study of heredity; how inherited variation is encoded, replicated, and expressed; and how it evolves over time.
Genetics
Complete set of genetic instructions for any organism.
Genome
Field of genetics that encompasses the basic principles of heredity and how traits are passed from one generation to the next.
Transmission Genetics
Study of the chemical nature of genetic information and how it is encoded, replicated, and expressed.
Molecular Genetics
Study of the genetic composition of populations and how that composition changes geographically and with the passage of time.
Population Genetics
An organism that is widely used in genetic research because it has characteristics, such as short generation time and large numbers of progeny, that make it particularly useful for genetic analysis.
Model Genetic Organism
Early concept of heredity proposing that particles carry genetic information from different parts of the body to the reproductive organs.
Pangenesis
early notion of inheritance proposing that acquired traits are passed on to offspring.
Inheritance of acquired traits
Early concept of inheritance proposing that a miniature adult (homunculus) resides in either the egg or the sperm and increases in size in development, and that all traits are inherited from the parent that contributes the homunculus.
Preformationism
Early concept of heredity proposing that the traits of offspring are a blend, or mixture, of parental traits.
Blending Inheritance
Theory stating that all life is composed of cells, that cells arise only from preexisting cells, and that the cell is the fundamental unit of structure and function in living organisms.
Cell theory
theory stating that cells in the reproductive organs carry a complete set of genetic information
Germ-plasm theory
What is a genome?
a complete set of genetic instructions for any organism; either RNA or DNA
what are some of the implications of all organisms having similar genetic systems?
a. that all life forms are genetically related
b. that research findings on one organisms gene function can often be applied to other organisms
c. that genes from one organism can often exist and thrive in another organism
d. all of the above
d. all of the above
Would the horse make a good model genetic organism? Why or why not?
No, because horses are expensive, have too few offspring, and generation time is too long
how did developments in cytology in the nineteenth century contribute to our modern understanding of genetics?
led us to the identification of parts of the cell, including the nucleus and chromosome.
Focused attention on cells, leading to the conclusion that the nucleus contains hereditary information.
What is albinism?
a disorder of reduction or absence of the pigment melanin. This type of selection is characteristic of human societies and is not seen elsewhere in the animal kingdom.
What makes model genetic organisms useful for genetic studies?
they have a small development time; produce many offspring; and do not cost much to develop.
