Genetics and Molecular Biology Review

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from genetics and molecular biology for exam preparation.

True-breeding

Any crosses performed will result in offspring with the same phenotype.

P generation

The first set of parent organisms crossed in a genetic experiment.

F1 generation

Produced by the cross-pollination of two parent (P) plants.

F2 generation

Produced by crossing individuals from the F1 generation.

Gregor Mendel

The first person to analyze patterns of inheritance.

Gene

A fundamental unit of heredity, a segment of DNA that contains the instructions for building a specific protein or RNA molecule.

Homologous chromosomes

Pairs of chromosomes, one inherited from each parent, that have the same length, centromere position, and gene order.

Allele

A variation of a gene or a different version of a DNA sequence.

Dominant

Determines appearance in a genetic trait.

Recessive

Has no noticeable effect on the organism's appearance.

Homozygous

When an organism has identical alleles for a gene.

Heterozygous

When an organism has different alleles for a gene.

Genotype

An organism’s genetic makeup; there should be two copies (alleles) of each gene.

Phenotype

An organism's physical traits.

Locus

The specific, fixed position of a gene or genetic marker on a chromosome.

Law of Dominance

A principle that states that in a heterozygote, one allele may conceal the presence of another allele.

Codominance

A genetic scenario in which both alleles are expressed equally.

Incomplete dominance

A genetic scenario in which the phenotype is a blend of the two parental traits.

Polygenic inheritance

Occurs when a trait is controlled by multiple genes, resulting in a continuous range of phenotypes.

Multifactorial disorder

A complex disorder arising from the interaction of multiple genetic and environmental factors.

Pleiotropy

The production by a single gene of two or more apparently unrelated effects.

Sex-linked gene

A gene located on a sex chromosome (X or Y).

Mutation

A change in the DNA sequence of an organism.

Transcription

The process where a specific segment of DNA is used as a template to create a complementary RNA molecule.

Translation

The process by which a cell makes proteins using the genetic information carried in messenger RNA (mRNA).

Mutagen

A chemical or physical agent capable of inducing changes in DNA.

Virus

A small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism.

Stem cell

Unspecialized cells with the ability to self-renew and differentiate into specialized cell types.

Recombinant DNA (rDNA)

A DNA molecule artificially created by combining genetic material from different sources.

GMO

A plant, animal, or microorganism whose DNA has been altered using genetic engineering.

Cloning

The process of creating a genetically identical copy of a cell, tissue, or organism.

Gene therapy

A technique that aims to treat or cure diseases by modifying a person's genetic material.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A technique used to amplify a segment of DNA.

Gene expression

The process by which the information encoded in a gene is used to create a functional product, usually a protein.

CRISPR

A revolutionary gene-editing technology that allows for precise modifications to DNA.