Lecture 22: Inheritance

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to inheritance, genetics, and the processes of mitosis and meiosis.

Mendelian Inheritance

Inheritance patterns based on Gregor Mendel's studies, focusing on dominant and recessive traits.

Incomplete Dominance

A form of non-Mendelian inheritance where alleles blend, resulting in a phenotype that is intermediate (e.g., pink flowers from red and white parents).

Codominance

A genetic scenario in which both alleles in a heterozygote are fully expressed, such as in the ABO blood group system.

Polygenic Inheritance

A type of inheritance wherein multiple genes influence a trait, resulting in a range of phenotypes like height.

Gametes

Haploid reproductive cells that unite during fertilization to form a diploid zygote.

Diploid

A cell that contains two complete sets of chromosomes, one from each parent, typically denoted as 2n.

Haploid

A cell that contains only one set of chromosomes, commonly represented as n.

PMAT

A mnemonic for the phases of cell division: Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase.

Cytokinesis

The final stage of cell division where the cytoplasm divides, resulting in two separate cells.

Test Cross

A genetic cross used to determine an unknown genotype by crossing it with a homozygous recessive individual.

Probability

The likelihood or chance of a particular event occurring, often expressed as a fraction or percentage.

Complete Dominance

A type of inheritance where the phenotype of the heterozygote is indistinguishable from that of the homozygous dominant parent.

Genetic Variation

Differences in traits among individuals of the same species due to genetic recombination, mutation, and other factors.

Sister Chromatids

Identical copies of a chromosome, joined together at the centromere, created during DNA replication.

Crossing Over

The exchange of genetic material between non-sister chromatids during Prophase I of meiosis, contributing to genetic diversity.

Independent Assortment

The random distribution of alleles during gamete formation, which contributes to genetic variation.