Genes, Breeding, and Genetic Engineering Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture notes regarding genetics, selective breeding techniques, and genetic engineering technologies.

Clone

An organism genetically identical to its parent, which can occur naturally through asexual reproduction or be created in labs.

Inbreeding

The practice of crossing individuals with the same or very similar characteristics to keep traits consistent across generations.

Hybridization

Crossing two genetically different individuals to produce offspring that may show the best traits from each parent.

Natural selection

A natural process where organisms better suited to their environment survival and leave more offspring, making helpful traits more common over generations.

Artificial selection

Also known as selective breeding, this is when humans choose which parents to breed to produce desired traits in plants or animals.

Genetic engineering

Inserting genes from one organism into another organism's DNA to give it new abilities or traits.

Genome

The complete set of all the DNA found in one cell of an organism.

Gene therapy

A medical application of genetic engineering where working copies of a gene are inserted directly into the cells of a person with a genetic disorder.

Plasmid

A small, circular piece of bacterial DNA used by scientists to produce useful products or move genes into other organisms.

Inherited traits

Characteristics that come from genes and are passed from parents to their offspring.

Learned behaviors

Non-genetic behaviors, like teaching a dog to sit, that are not passed to offspring through breeding.

Mutation (Body Cells)

A genetic change that occurs in cells such as skin cells and cannot be passed on to offspring.

Mutation (Sperm or Egg Cells)

A genetic change that occurs in reproductive cells and can be passed to offspring.

Cuttings

A method of plant cloning where a part like a stem (e.g., from an African violet or grapevine) is used to grow a new, genetically identical plant.