Genetics: DNA, Genes, and Chromosomes

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental genetics concepts, including cells, the nucleus, DNA, genes, chromosomes, and inheritance.

Cells

The basic units of life that make up all living organisms.

Nucleus

The primary cellular organelle inside human cells that houses deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and controls all cellular activities.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

The genetic material located within the nucleus that serves as the instruction manual and blueprint for life, directing body growth, development, functions, and environmental responses.

Genes

Specific sequences of DNA stored in chromosomes that determine traits such as eye color, blood type, and height.

Chromosomes

Long strands of DNA wrapped around proteins that store genes, organized into $23$ pairs for a total of $46$ chromosomes in typical human cells.

Human Zygote

A fertilized cell that typically contains $46$ chromosomes after fertilization.

Inherited Trait

A characteristic, such as eye color, that is coded in DNA and passed down genetically from biological parents to their offspring.

Chromosome Inheritance

The genetic transmission in which an offspring inherits $23$ individual chromosomes from the biological mother and $23$ from the biological father through egg and sperm cells.