Genetic Chromosomal Changes

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to genetic chromosomal changes.

Diploid

A cell or organism having two sets of chromosomes, typically one from each parent.

Double Strand Breaks (DSBs)

Accidental breaks in both strands of the DNA helix, which can lead to chromosome rearrangements.

Deletion

A chromosome rearrangement involving the loss of a segment of DNA.

Duplication

A chromosome rearrangement in which a segment of DNA is copied, resulting in two copies of that segment.

Inversion

A rearrangement involving a segment of a chromosome that is reversed end to end.

Translocation

A chromosome rearrangement where a segment of one chromosome is transferred to another chromosome.

Reciprocal Translocation

A type of translocation where two different chromosomes exchange segments.

Aneuploidy

Abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell, such as trisomy or monosomy.

Nondisjunction

Failure of chromosomes to separate properly during cell division, leading to an abnormal number of chromosomes.

Cri du chat syndrome

A genetic disorder caused by a deletion on chromosome 5, leading to severe developmental issues.

Polyploidy

The condition in which a cell has more than two complete sets of chromosomes.

Triploidy

A condition in which a cell has three sets of chromosomes (3n).

Karyotype

A visual representation of the number and appearance of chromosomes in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell.