ch 8 terms

genetic disorder

a physical condition caused by a harmful mutation in an individual gene or chromosome

chromosomal abnormality

any change in the chromosome number or structure, compared to what is typical for a species

gene therapy

a genetic engineering technique for correcting defective genes responsible for disease development

genetic engineering

the permanent introduction of one or more genes into a cell, tissue, or organism

stem cells

unique, unspecialized cells that can make identical copies of themselves for long periods of time and can be used in gene therapy

autosome

any chromosome that is not one of the sex chromosomes

sex chromosome

one of the two chromosomes(X and Y) that determine gender

locus(plural loci)

the physical location of a gene on a chromosome

sex-linked

found solely on the X or Y chromosome

X-linked

found solely on the X-chromosome

Y-linked

found solely on the Y chromosome

recessive genetic disorder

a genetic disorder that is inherited as a recessive trait on an autosome

genetic carrier

an individual who has only one copy of a recessive allele for a particular disease and therefore can pass on the disorder allele but does not have a disease

dominant genetic disorder

a genetic disorder that is inherited as a dominant trait on an autosome

pedigree

a chart similar to a family tree that shows genetic relationships among family member over two or more generations of a family’s medical history