Recording-2025-03-04T16:49:35

Diploid

Organism or cell with two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent; in humans, this means 46 chromosomes.

Haploid

Gamete (sperm or egg cell) containing only one set of chromosomes, half the genetic information of the diploid organism, 23 chromosomes.

Zygote

The fertilized egg that results from the union of a sperm cell and an egg cell, containing the complete set of chromosomes.

Mitosis

A type of cell division that results in two daughter cells having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing four haploid gametes from one diploid cell.

Gene

A segment of DNA that contains the instructions for making a specific protein or trait.

Allele

Different versions of a gene that determine distinct traits inherited from each parent.

Dominant allele

An allele that expresses its trait even when only one copy is present in the genotype.

Recessive allele

An allele that only expresses its trait when two copies are present in the genotype; it is masked by a dominant allele.

Homozygous

An organism that has two identical alleles for a specific gene.

Heterozygous

An organism that has two different alleles for a specific gene.

Monohybrid cross

A genetic cross involving one characteristic or trait, examining the inheritance of one gene.

Phenotype

The physical expression or characteristics of a trait in an organism.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism, specifically the alleles it carries.

Punnett square

A diagram used in genetics to predict the genotype and phenotype combinations of offspring from two parents.

F1 generation

The first filial generation produced from a cross of parental (P) generation organisms.

F2 generation

The second filial generation, produced from crossing the F1 generation.

Mendelian inheritance

The hereditary patterns established by Gregor Mendel, including concepts of dominance, segregation, and independent assortment.

Trait

A specific characteristic of an organism that can be observed, such as flower color or seed shape.