Mendel's Laws & Chromosomal Inheritance

Flashcards covering important concepts in Mendelian genetics, chromosomal inheritance, sex-linked traits, and chromosomal aberrations.

Law of Segregation

The principle that allele pairs separate during gamete formation, so that offspring receive one allele from each parent.

Law of Independent Assortment

The principle stating that genes for different traits are inherited independently of each other.

Gametes

Reproductive cells that carry only one allele for each gene.

P Generation

The parental generation in a genetic cross.

F₁ Generation

The first generation of offspring from a genetic cross.

F₂ Generation

The second generation of offspring produced from interbreeding the F₁ generation.

Chromosome Theory of Inheritance

The theory that genes are located on chromosomes, which are passed on during reproduction.

X-inactivation

A process by which one of the two X chromosomes in females is randomly inactivated.

Barr body

The inactivated X chromosome in females, visible as a dense body in the nucleus.

Dosage Compensation

The mechanism by which organisms equalize the expression of genes between individuals with differing copies of a gene.

Klinefelter Syndrome

A genetic condition in males characterized by the presence of an extra X chromosome (XXY).

Turner Syndrome

A condition in females caused by the absence of one X chromosome (XO).