Topic 6: heredity (inheritance)

Question 1

what is inheritance?

Answer 1

-transfer of genetically determined characteristics from one generation to the next

Question 2

what is genetics?

Answer 2

-the study of inheritance

Question 3

how many homologous pairs of chromosomes are autosomal?

Answer 3

-22

Question 4

what are autosomal characteristics

Answer 4

-body characteristics

Question 5

what is the final pair of chromosomes determining?

Answer 5

-sex
-male = XY
-female = XX

Question 6

what are alleles?

Answer 6

-genes occupying the same locus on a homologous chromosome

Question 7

what are the two classifications of alleles?

Answer 7

-homozygous
-heterozygous

Question 8

what does it mean to be homozygous?

Answer 8

-same allele of a particular gene on a homologous chromosome
-both alleles express the same version of the trait
-ex:blond hair (bb) black hair (BB)

Question 9

what does it mean to be heterozygous?

Answer 9

-different allleles of the same gene
-alleles code for different expressions of the same trait
-ex: Bb

Question 10

what is a genotype?

Answer 10

-catalogue of a persons genes
-your genetic makeup
-ex: Bb

Question 11

what is a phenotype?

Answer 11

-expression of a genotype to give observable characteristics
-ex: black hair

Question 12

what is a dominant allele?

Answer 12

-expressed as a capital letter
-expressed in phenotype regardless of the other allele
-ex: BB or Bb (black hair)

Question 13

what is a recessive allele?

Answer 13

-expressed as a lower case letter
-expressed in phenotype only if present on both alleles
-ex: bb (blonde hair)

Question 14

what are punnett squares?

Answer 14

-determines the probability of inheritance
-predicts the offsprings genotype and phenotype