Heredity and Adaptations Part 2

Genome

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes

Homozygous

An organism that has two identical alleles for a trait

Heterozygous

An organism that has two different alleles for a trait

Phenotype

An organism's physical appearance, or visible traits.

Genotype

An organism's genetic makeup, or allele combinations.

Protein

A three dimensional polymer made of monomers of amino acids.

Recessive

An allele that is masked when a dominant allele is present

Dominant

Describes a trait that covers over, or dominates, another form of that trait.

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Trait

A characteristic that an organism can pass on to its offspring through its genes.

Adaptation

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce

Artificial selection

Breeding organisms with specific traits in order to produce offspring with identical traits.

Genetically Modified Organism

An organism whose genetic material has been altered through some genetic engineering technology or technique.

Mutation

A change in a gene or chromosome.

Natural Selection

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.

Theory

well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations