Genetic Overview

Gene

DNA segment that may code for a specific trait, built of nucleotides, maintain genetic continuity and transfer information from generation to generation.

Proteins

Different chemical complexes that form different working parts of a cell/body/life process, ended within a gene.

Mendel

Discovered traits are inherited, worked on peas in 1866, called genes 'heredity units', did controlled experiments.

Law of segregation

Separation of two alleles of the same gene during gamete formation.

Law of independent assortment

Alleles of different genes segregate independently of each other during meiosis.

Dominance and recessiveness

Some alleles mask the expression of others.

Chromosomal theory of inheritance

Proposed by Walter Sutton, Theodor Boveri, and Thomas Hunt Morgan, it states that Mendelian factors (genes) have specific sites (loci) along chromosomes.

Recombinant Technology

Started the era of cloning in the 1970s when researchers discovered enzymes in bacteria to manipulate DNA.

Human Genome Project (HGP)

In 2003, coordinated effort to sequence all of human DNA, highlighting important genes for cellular function and reproduction.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Manipulation of an organism’s genes to alter or enhance certain traits, common in agriculture.

CRISPR

A type of gene editing used to experimentally treat sickle cell anemia since 2021.

Central Dogma

DNA → RNA → Protein, with DNA transcribing into RNA which is translated into proteins.

Plasmid

A protective molecule that encases genetic material when implanting between organisms.

Genome

The complete set of genetic instructions for a given organism, made by either DNA or RNA.

Genomics

The field that studies how different traits and genes interact with each other.

Proteomics

Study of protein sets present in cells.

Bioinformatics

Uses hardware to process protein and genetic data.

Karyotype

The organization of homologous pairs of chromosomes for an organism.

Hox genes

Important genes that specify where different parts of the body belong.

Physical trait

Something in appearance, typically controlled by multiple genes and sometimes influenced by external factors.

Disease predisposition

Varying factors in genes may indicate a higher risk for developing specific conditions.