Mendelian Genetics

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts in Mendelian Genetics, based on the students' lecture notes.

Gregor Mendel

Austrian monk known for studying inheritance of traits in pea plants and developing the laws of inheritance.

Trait

Any characteristic that can be passed from parent to offspring.

Heredity

The passing of traits from parent to offspring.

Genetics

The study of heredity.

Monohybrid cross

A genetic cross involving a single trait, such as flower color.

Dihybrid cross

A genetic cross involving two traits, such as flower color and plant height.

Punnett Square

A tool used by geneticists to predict the possible genotypes and phenotypes of offspring.

Genotype

The gene combination for a trait (e.g., RR, Rr, rr).

Phenotype

The physical feature resulting from a genotype (e.g., red, white).

Law of Dominance

In crosses between pure contrasting traits, only one form of the trait appears in the next generation.

Law of Segregation

During gamete formation, the two alleles for a trait separate from each other.

Law of Independent Assortment

Alleles for different traits are distributed to gametes independently of one another.

Homozygous genotype

A gene combination involving two dominant or two recessive genes (e.g., RR or rr); also called pure.

Heterozygous genotype

A gene combination of one dominant and one recessive allele (e.g., Rr); also called hybrid.

Incomplete Dominance

When F1 hybrids have an appearance somewhat in between the phenotypes of the two parental varieties.

Codominance

When two alleles are expressed in heterozygous individuals.

Sex-linked Traits

Traits located on sex chromosomes, which are X and Y. Many are carried on the X chromosome.

Test Cross

A method to determine if an organism showing a dominant phenotype is homozygous dominant or heterozygous.