Mendelian Patterns of Inheritance

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary from Mendelian patterns of inheritance.

Gregor Mendel

Austrian monk known for his work on the inheritance of traits in garden peas.

Mendel's Laws of Segregation

Each individual has a pair of alleles for each trait, which segregate during gamete formation.

Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment

The alleles for different traits segregate independently of one another.

Monohybrid Cross

A mating experiment between two organisms that differ in a single trait.

Phenotype

The observable characteristics or traits of an organism.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism, specifically the alleles it has for a trait.

Homozygous

Having two identical alleles for a particular gene.

Heterozygous

Having two different alleles for a particular gene.

Dominant Allele

An allele that masks the effect of a recessive allele.

Recessive Allele

An allele that is only expressed when two copies are present.

Punnett Square

A grid used to predict the genotypes and phenotypes of offspring from parental alleles.

True-breeding

Organisms that, when self-pollinated, produce offspring identical to themselves.

Gamete

A reproductive cell that carries half the genetic information of an organism.

Testcross

Crossing an individual with an unknown genotype with a homozygous recessive individual.

Autosomal Dominant

A pattern of inheritance where one copy of a dominant allele results in the expression of the trait.

Autosomal Recessive

A pattern of inheritance where two copies of a recessive allele are needed to express the trait.

Pleiotropy

When one gene influences multiple phenotypic traits.

Polygenic Inheritance

A pattern of inheritance where multiple genes control a trait.

Codominance

A situation where both alleles in a heterozygote are fully expressed.

Incomplete Dominance

A form of inheritance where the phenotype is a mix between the two alleles.

X-linked Inheritance

Inheritance of genes located on the sex chromosomes, especially the X chromosome.

Phenotypic Ratio

The ratio of different phenotypes produced in offspring from a genetic cross.

Dihybrid Cross

A mating experiment between two organisms that differ in two traits.

Genetic Disorder

A medical condition caused by alleles inherited from parents.

Allele

A version of a gene that may produce different traits.

Heredity

The passing of traits from parents to offspring.

Segregation

The separation of alleles during gamete formation.

Independent Assortment

The random distribution of alleles during the formation of gametes.

Mendelian Genetics

The study of how genes and traits are inherited through generations.

Reciprocal Crosses

Crosses where the sexes of the parents are reversed from one cross to another.

Cross-Pollination

The transfer of pollen from the male anther of one flower to the female stigma of another.

Allele Key

A reference used to understand the symbols that represent genes in genetic crosses.