Genetics: Heredity Vocabulary

heredity: the passing of traits from parent to offspring
genetics: the branch of biology that studies heredity
alleles: different versions of a gene * eg. blue v brown eye color
homozygous: when two alleles of a particular gene are the same * eg. BB/bb
heterozygous: when the alleles of a particular gene are different * eg. Bb
genotype: the set of alleles an individual has
phenotype: physical appearance of a trait * eg: phenotype: brown eyes - genotype: BB/Bb - dominant: B
law of segregation: the two alleles for a trait separate when gametes are formed
law of independent assortment: the alleles of different genes separate independently of one another during meiosis
testcross: a cross between an organism with an unknown genotype and an organism with the recessive phenotype