Cell Bio 3.1

Ability to reproduce

The fundamental property of living things that allows organisms to inherit genetic information from their parents.

Replicate

The process by which genetic material is copied and passed from parent to progeny cell during cell division.

Genes

Inherited factors that determine traits, originally deduced by Gregor Mendel.

Alleles

Variants of a gene that can exist in different forms, leading to different traits.

Homozygous

A condition where an individual has two identical alleles for a given gene.

Heterozygous

A condition where an individual has two different alleles for a given gene.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an individual, referring to the combination of alleles inherited.

Phenotype

The physical expression of an individual’s genotype, or observable traits.

Diploid

A cell or organism that contains two copies of each chromosome.

Haploid

A cell, such as sperm or egg, that contains only one copy of each chromosome.

Gametes

Haploid cells produced during meiosis that unite during fertilization to form a diploid organism.

Mutation

A genetic alteration that can affect observable characteristics, often studied in model organisms.

Drosophila melanogaster

A fruit fly used as a model organism in genetic studies due to its rapid reproduction and ease of maintenance.

Chromosomal basis of heredity

The concept that genes are located on chromosomes, which are inherited during cell division.

Transformation

The process in which DNA is taken up by a cell and changes its genetic makeup.

DNA

The molecule identified as the genetic material responsible for heredity in living organisms.

Double helix

The three-dimensional structure of DNA characterized by two intertwined strands.

Semiconservative replication

The method of DNA replication where each strand serves as a template for the synthesis of a new complementary strand.

Base pairing

The specific pairing of adenine with thymine and guanine with cytosine in DNA.

Matthew Meselson and Frank Stahl

Researchers who provided experimental evidence for semiconservative DNA replication in 1958.

Hydrogen bonding

The type of bond that forms between complementary bases in the DNA double helix.