AGRI 197B Lecture Notes: Genetics, Animal Breeding, and Reproduction

This set of flashcards covers key terms and concepts related to genetics, animal breeding, and reproduction as discussed in AGRI 197B.

Success

Achievement that comes from hard work, discipline, and preparation.

Heredity

The transmission of traits from parents to offspring.

Gene

The basic unit of inheritance that determines characteristics.

Genotype

The actual genetic composition of an organism.

Phenotype

The observable expression of a gene combination.

Allele

Alternative form of a gene that can occur at a specific locus.

Heterosis

Hybrid vigor; the superior performance of crossbred offspring.

Heritability

The proportion of phenotypic variation attributable to genetic differences.

Inbreeding depression

Reduced fitness or performance due to the mating of closely related individuals.

Mass selection

A breeding method that selects individuals based on their own performance records.

Artificial insemination (AI)

A reproductive technology involving the introduction of sperm into the female reproductive tract.

Gene introgression

The transfer of a specific gene from one population to another through repeated backcrossing.

Selection differential

The difference between the mean performance of selected individuals and the population mean.

Progeny testing

A method of evaluation that relies on the performance of an animal's offspring.

Crossbreeding

Mating animals of different breeds to combine desirable traits.

Linebreeding

A form of inbreeding to maintain a specific family line without increasing inbreeding.

Selection index

A calculation that combines multiple traits into a single score for selection purposes.

Estrous cycle

The interval between one estrus period and the next.

Embryo transfer

The process of transferring fertilized embryos to a recipient female.

Oogenesis

The production of ova in the ovaries.

Spermatogenesis

The process of sperm cell development in the testes.

Codominance

A genetic scenario where both alleles in a heterozygote contribute to the phenotype.

Quantitative trait

A trait controlled by multiple genes and expressed in a continuous manner.