Unit 5 Review

Meiosis

Process where specialized diploid cells divide into 4 haploid cells, each with half the number of chromosomes, producing gametes like eggs and sperm.

Mendelian Genetics

Study of inheritance patterns in offspring from parental crosses, following laws like segregation and independent assortment proposed by Gregor Mendel.

Law of Segregation

Principle stating that alleles separate during gamete formation, leading to a 1:2 ratio of genotypes in offspring.

Law of Independent Assortment

Concept that alleles of different genes segregate independently during gamete formation.

Huntington’s Disease

Genetic disorder causing nerve degeneration, uncontrollable movements, and often fatal outcomes.

Non-Mendelian Genetics

Inheritance patterns that do not adhere to Mendel's laws, including phenomena like incomplete dominance, codominance, and epistasis.

Sex-linked vs

Sex-linked diseases mainly affect one sex more than the other and can skip generations, while autosomal diseases affect both sexes equally.

Dominant Trait

Trait expressed when inherited from one parent, often visible in the phenotype.

Recessive Trait

Trait expressed only when inherited from both parents, typically masked by dominant traits.

Epistasis

Interaction between genes where the phenotype of one gene affects the expression of another gene.

Polygenic Inheritance

Inheritance pattern where multiple genes contribute to a single trait, such as height or eye color.