Animal Genetics AS 101 FALL 2025

Flashcards providing vocabulary terms and their definitions based on the 'Introduction to Animal Genetics' lecture notes.

Genetics

The information / code (base pairs - genes) that make-up an individual (development, anatomy and physiological functions); also, the study of the genes that make up an animal and their interactions with the environment.

Gene

A short segment of a chromosome.

Chromosome

A DNA molecule packaged into a thread-like structure, tightly coiled many times around proteins called histones that support its structure.

Chromatin

The complex formed by DNA and histone proteins.

Histone

Positively charged proteins that associate strongly with DNA, involved in packing genetic material.

Telomeres

Protective ends of DNA that act as a cap on the chromosome and a buffer for genetic material, preventing chromosomes from becoming attached to each other.

DNA methylation

A process associated with longevity that may play a role in regulating lifespan.

Central Dogma of Biology

The flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein through the processes of transcription and translation.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

One of the three main types of RNA involved in protein synthesis, carrying genetic information from DNA to ribosomes.

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

One of the three main types of RNA involved in protein synthesis, responsible for bringing specific amino acids to the ribosome during translation.

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

One of the three main types of RNA involved in protein synthesis, forming part of the ribosome structure and involved in catalysis during protein synthesis.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

A molecule composed of two strands of sugars (deoxyribose), nitrogen bases, phosphate groups, and hydrogen bonds, forming a double helix with strands running in opposite directions.

Purine bases

Nitrogenous bases found in DNA and RNA, specifically Adenine and Guanine.

Pyrimidine bases

Nitrogenous bases found in DNA and RNA, specifically Thymine and Cytosine in DNA, and Uracil and Cytosine in RNA.

Nucleotide

The basic building block of DNA and RNA, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Uracil (U)

A pyrimidine base that replaces thymine (T) in RNA.

Codon

A sequence of three nucleotides in DNA or RNA that corresponds to a specific amino acid or stop signal during protein synthesis.

Allele

One of two or more alternative forms of a gene occupying corresponding sites (loci) on homologous chromosomes.

Homologous chromosomes

Chromosomes having the same size and shape, occurring in pairs, and affecting the same trait.

Locus

The specific physical position or location of a gene within a chromosome.

Diploid cells

Cells containing two copies of each type of chromosome (2N), typically somatic cells, produced by the fusion of two gametes.

Haploid cells

Sex cells (gametes) that contain just one copy of the chromosomes (1/2 of the chromosomes of the species), such as spermatozoa and oocytes.

Mitosis

The process of somatic cell division, resulting in two daughter cells genetically identical to the parent cell.

Meiosis

Cell division that occurs in gametes (gametogenesis), resulting in the reduction of the number of chromosomes by half of the total number of the species.

Karyotype

An arrangement of chromosomes from largest to smallest, used to characterize the number, size, and morphology of chromosomes in an individual.

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)

A type of genetic variation where a single nucleotide in the genome differs between members of a species, involving the substitution of one base for another.

Homozygous

An animal that has two identical alleles at a given locus (e.g., AA).

Heterozygous

An animal with two different alleles at a given locus (e.g., Aa).

Epigenetics

The study of how behaviors and environment can cause reversible changes that affect the way genes work, influencing gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence.

Gene expression

The process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product, such as a protein, indicating how often or when proteins are created.