Biology: Chromosomes and Inheritance

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to chromosomes and inheritance as presented in the lecture notes.

Continuous variation

The range of small differences seen among individuals in a characteristic like human height.

Discontinuous variation

Variation seen among individuals when each individual shows one of two distinct traits.

Hybridization

Mating two true-breeding individuals with different traits to observe offspring.

Genotype

The letter code of the gene (e.g., recessive or dominant).

Phenotype

The physical presentation of a gene (e.g., color of flower).

Allele

Any one of two or more genes that may occur alternatively at a given site on a chromosome.

Law of Dominance

In a heterozygote, one trait will conceal the presence of another trait for the same characteristic.

Law of Segregation

Paired alleles are passed down so that offspring have an equal likelihood of inheriting either factor.

Law of Independent Assortment

One pair of genes is independent of the inheritance of another pair.

Incomplete dominance

A condition where one of the alleles appears in the phenotype in the heterozygote, but does not mask the other.

Codominance

A condition where neither allele can block or mask the expression of the other allele.

Mendelian traits

Traits suggested by Mendel's experiments with pea plants, showing that alleles maintain their integrity in each generation.

Dominant trait

A trait that is expressed and conceals other traits when present.

Recessive trait

A trait that becomes latent in the presence of a dominant trait, but can reappear in offspring.