Mendelian Genetics Review

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to Mendelian genetics, including definitions of important terms and concepts essential for understanding inheritance.

True-breeding

Organisms that are homozygous for a trait and consistently produce offspring with that same trait when self-pollinated.

Self-crossing

The process of a plant fertilizing itself, leading to its progeny which are the resulting offspring.

Hybrid

The offspring of two parents with different traits.

Dihybrid cross

A mating experiment between two individuals that are heterozygous for two different genes.

Monohybrid cross

A genetic cross involving a single trait.

Phenotypic ratio

The ratio of different phenotypes produced in the offspring.

Genotypic ratio

The ratio of different genotypes produced in the offspring.

Allele

A variant form of a gene.

Homozygous

Having two identical alleles for a particular gene.

Heterozygous

Having two different alleles for a particular gene.

Phenotype

The observable physical trait resulting from a specific genotype.

Genotype

The specific set of alleles an organism carries for a particular gene.

Segregation

The separation of alleles for a gene into different gametes during gamete formation.

Principle of segregation

During the formation of gametes, the two alleles for a specific gene separate from each other.

Principle of independent assortment

The alleles for different genes segregate independently during gamete formation.

Polygenic inheritance

A pattern where a single trait is controlled by multiple genes, resulting in a wide spectrum of phenotypes.

Pleiotropy

A single allele that can lead to multiple phenotypes.

Incomplete dominance

A genetic scenario where the phenotype of a heterozygote is a blend of the two parental traits.

Codominance

A genetic scenario where both alleles are equally and fully expressed in the heterozygote.