Genetics and Cell Cycle Exam Review

Flashcards summarizing key genetic concepts and the cell cycle for exam preparation.

Somatic Cells

Body cells that make up the majority of an organism's tissues.

Gametic Cells

Reproductive cells, known as gametes, that include sperm and egg.

Interphase

The phase of the cell cycle where the cell grows and replicates its DNA.

Mitosis

The process of cell division that results in two identical daughter cells.

Cytokinesis

The division of the cytoplasm that occurs after mitosis, resulting in two separate cells.

Cell cycle checkpoints

Regulatory points in the cell cycle that ensure proper division and DNA integrity.

Benign Tumor

A tumor that remains localized and does not invade surrounding tissues.

Malignant Tumor

Cancerous tumor that invades surrounding tissues and can spread to other parts of the body.

Meiosis

Cell division process that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in gametes.

Independent assortment

The random distribution of homologous chromosomes during meiosis.

Crossing Over

The exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes during meiosis.

Phenotype

The observable traits expressed by an organism.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism; the alleles it carries.

Law of Dominance

A genetic principle stating that some alleles are dominant and will mask the expression of recessive alleles.

Test Cross

Breeding an organism with an unknown genotype with a known recessive homozygote to determine its genotype.

Ploidy

The number of sets of chromosomes in a cell.

Polygenic inheritance

A type of inheritance where multiple genes influence a single trait.

Pleiotropy

A situation where a single gene affects multiple phenotypic traits.

Epistasis

When the expression of one gene is affected by another gene.