ch 8 terms

gene therapy

a technique for correcting abnormal genes responsible for disease development

genetic engineering

the permanent introduction of one of more new or altered genes into a cell, tissue, or organism

stem cells

unique, unspecialized cells that can make identical copies of themselves for long periods of time

autosomes

homologous chromosomes that are exactly alike in length, shape, and the genes they carry

sex chromosomes

determine a person’s biological sex

chromosomal abnormality

any change in the chromosome number or structure compared to what is typical for a species

locus(plural loci)

the physical location of a gene on a chromosome

recessive genetic disorders

include several thousand human genetic disorders that are inherited as recessive traits on autosomes

genetic carriers of a disorder

carry the disorder allele(a) and do not have the disease

dominant genetic disorders

an inherited disease caused by an autosomal dominant allele(A), rarer than autosomal recessive disorders

pedigree

a chart similar to a family tree, shows genetic relationships among family members over two or more generations of a family’s medical history and used to identify and differentiate the inheritance patterns of different traits or disorders