Chapter 14: Mendelian Genetics

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to Mendelian genetics.

Gregor Mendel

The scientist known as the father of genetics who discovered the basic principles of heredity.

Traits

Character variants such as flower color in pea plants. They are the specific characteristics that are inherited.

Hybridization

The process of mating two contrasting true-breeding varieties to produce hybrid offspring.

Dominant Trait

A trait that manifests in the phenotype even when only one allele is present.

Recessive Trait

A trait that only manifests in the phenotype when two copies of the allele are present.

Alleles

Alternative versions of a gene that account for variations in inherited characters.

Homozygous

An organism with two identical alleles for a character.

Heterozygous

An organism with two different alleles for a gene.

Phenotype

The physical appearance of an organism as a result of its genotype.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism.

Testcross

A breeding experiment used to determine the genotype of an individual with a dominant phenotype.

Monohybrid Cross

A genetic cross between parents that differ in a single character.

Dihybrid Cross

A cross between parents differing in two characters.

Law of Segregation

The principle that the two alleles for a heritable character separate during gamete formation.

Law of Independent Assortment

The principle that each pair of alleles segregates independently of each other pair of alleles during gamete formation.

Epistasis

A form of gene interaction where one gene influences the expression of another gene.

Cystic Fibrosis

A recessively inherited genetic disorder characterized by mucus buildup and malabsorption of nutrients.

Albinism

A recessive genetic condition characterized by a lack of pigmentation.

Huntington's Disease

A degenerative genetic disorder of the nervous system, caused by a dominant allele.

Polygenic Inheritance

Inheritance pattern in which a trait is controlled by multiple genes, leading to a range of phenotypes.

Incomplete Dominance

A form of inheritance where the phenotype of the heterozygote is intermediate between those of the two homozygotes.

Codominance

A form of inheritance where both alleles in a heterozygote are fully expressed, resulting in offspring with a phenotype that is neither dominant nor recessive.

Punnett Square

A diagram used to predict the outcome of a genetic cross by showing all possible combinations of alleles.