Intro to genetics

Exam 1 Intro to genetics flash cards from notes

Genetics

The study of heredity and how biological traits are passed down from parents to offspring.

Gene

A segment of DNA that is used to produce RNA molecules.

Gregor Mendel

The father of modern genetics, known for his work on inheritance patterns in pea plants.

Chromosomes

Structures that contain genetic material; humans have 46 chromosomes in somatic cells and 23 in gametes.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that carries genetic information.

Avery-MacLeod-McCarty experiment

Proved that DNA is the genetic material of living things.

Haploid

A cell having one set of chromosomes, typical of gametes.

Diploid

A cell having two sets of chromosomes, typical of somatic cells.

Phenotype

The physical manifestation or expression of a gene.

Genotype

The genetic makeup or allele combinations of an individual.

Alleles

Different versions of a gene that may produce distinguishable phenotypic effects.

Homozygous

Having identical alleles for a given gene.

Heterozygous

Having different alleles for a given gene.

Karyotype

A visual analysis of a cell's chromosomes.

Mitosis

The process of cell division that results in two genetically identical daughter cells.

Meiosis

A specialized form of cell division that produces gametes with half the number of chromosomes.

Complete dominance

An inheritance pattern where a dominant allele completely masks the effect of a recessive allele.

Incomplete dominance

An inheritance pattern where the phenotype of heterozygotes is intermediate between those of the two homozygotes.

Codominance

An inheritance pattern where both alleles in a heterozygote are fully expressed.

Mendel's postulates

Four principles that explain how traits are inherited, including the concepts of dominance and segregation.

Genome

The complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism.

Transformation

The genetic alteration of a cell resulting from the direct uptake and incorporation of exogenous genetic material.

Locus

The specific location of a gene on a chromosome.

Homologous chromosomes

A pair of chromosomes containing the same genes.

Gemmules

Theoretical objects proposed by Darwin that were thought to carry hereditary information.

Pangenesis

Darwin's theory that traits are inherited through particles called gemmules.

Forward Genetics

A method of studying genes by identifying the genetic basis of phenotype.

Reverse Genetics

A methodology that starts with the gene and determines the phenotype by manipulating gene expression.

Sex chromosomes

Chromosomes that determine the biological sex of an individual (XX for female, XY for male).

Autosomes

Non-sex chromosomes that are paired in diploid organisms.

Transcription

The process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA.

Translation

The process through which RNA is used to synthesize proteins.