AP Bio Module 26 Vocab

genotype

the set of genes that an organism carries.

phenotype

the set of traits that an organism expresses, such as hair color or eye color.

sexual reproduction

the process of producing offspring that receive genetic material from two parents; in eukaryotes, the process occurs through meiotic cell division and fertilization.

genetic variation

the range of different genotypes found among individuals.

diploid

a cell with two sets of chromosomes (denoted as 2n).

haploid

a cell with one set of chromosomes (denoted as 1n).

meiosis

a form of cell division in which a parental cell divides in two stages to produce four daughter cells.

sex chromosomes

a chromosome associated with sex determination.

autosomes

a chromosome that is not a sex chromosome.

homologous chromosomes

two chromosomes that are similar in size and shape, and that carry the same genes.

karyotype

a visual display of the pairs of chromosomes.

meiosis I

the first step in meiosis in which homologous chromosomes are separated from each other.

meiosis II

the second step in meiosis in which sister chromatids are separated from each other.

non-sister chromatids

chromatids that are not connected by a centromere.

crossing over

a process in prophase I in meiosis when each chromatid can break at the chiasma and then connect to a non-sister chromatid. also known as recombination.

recombination

a process in prophase I in meiosis when each chromatid can break at the chiasma and then connect to a non-sister chromatid.

gametes

a reproductive haploid cell; gametes fuse to form a diploid zygote. in many species, there are two types of gametes: eggs in females, sperm in males.

zygote

the diploid cell formed by the fusion of two gametes.