Chapter 12 Animal Science

Vocabulary flashcards for Chapter 12: Genetics in Scientific Farm Animal Production, covering key terms related to animal genetics, inheritance patterns, biotechnology, and reproductive processes.

Turkeys

A species with 41 pairs of chromosomes.

Chickens

A species with 39 pairs of chromosomes.

Horses

A species with 32 pairs of chromosomes.

Cattle

A species with 30 pairs of chromosomes.

Goats

A species with 30 pairs of chromosomes.

Sheep

A species with 27 pairs of chromosomes.

Swine

A species with 19 pairs of chromosomes.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid)

A nucleic acid composed of nucleotides, responsible for carrying genetic instructions.

Nucleotide

The basic building block of DNA and RNA, consisting of a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), and a nitrogenous base.

Nucleoside

A nucleotide without the phosphate group, composed of a sugar and a nitrogenous base.

Nucleic Acid Bases

Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, Guanine, responsible for coding genetic information.

Codon

A sequence of three nucleic acid bases that codes for a specific amino acid.

Dominant Trait

A characteristic that is expressed when at least one dominant allele is present (e.g., black coat color in cattle, polled trait in Hereford cattle).

Recessive Trait

A characteristic that is only expressed when two copies of the recessive allele are present (e.g., red coat color in cattle, horned trait in Hereford cattle).

Homozygous Recessive

An individual with two identical recessive alleles for a trait (e.g., pp for horned cattle).

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism, represented by pairs of alleles (e.g., BB, Bb, bb).

Phenotype

The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, resulting from its genotype and environmental factors (e.g., black coat, polled).

Complete Dominance

A genetic inheritance pattern where the dominant allele completely masks the effect of the recessive allele.

Lack of Dominance

A genetic inheritance pattern where neither allele is completely dominant, resulting in an intermediate phenotype (also known as incomplete dominance).

Overdominance

A genetic inheritance pattern where the heterozygous genotype has a phenotypic value greater than either homozygous genotype.

Heterosis (Hybrid vigor)

The vigor or productivity of crossbred animals, which are often more productive than their straightbred parents.

Biotechnology

The use of living organisms to improve, modify, or produce industrially important products or processes.

Genetic Engineering

The selection and incorporation of beneficial traits by altering the genetic material, removing randomization in their expression in the phenotype.

Gene

A segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait.

Allele

One of the different alternative forms of a gene, with one from each parent.

Fertilization

The process where sperm and egg each contribute one set of chromosomes to form a fertilized egg.

Zygote

The fertilized egg, containing chromosomal contributions from both the sire (sperm) and the dam (egg).

Diploid

A cell or organism containing two complete sets of chromosomes, one from each parent, as seen in a zygote.

Spermatogenesis

The process of sperm production, occurring from puberty to old age in males.