Unit 8 Vocab

Mutation- A change in the genetic code

Somatic Cells- Body cells

Germ Cells- Gametes such as sperm and egg

Neutral mutation- mutations that have little or no effect on gene function

Harmful mutation- mutations that produce defective proteins 

Lethal mutation- change proteins that are so vital to life that they cause death, usually before birth

Beneficial mutation- mutations that help an organism survive and reproduce

Autosomal Recessive- A mutation on chromosomes 1-22 that causes a protein to be NON-FUNCTIONAL and would appear recessive to the normal working allele

Carrier- A heterozygous person who carries a recessive allele for a genetic disorder, but doesn’t show the disorder themselves

Autosomal Dominant- A mutation on chromosomes 1-22 that codes for a new protein whose action masks the normal allele

Karyotype- A picture of an organism’s chromosomes

Sex chromosomes-  Chromosomes that determine the sex of an organism

Autosomes- All chromosomes besides the X and Y

Pedigree- diagram that shows how genes are passed on in families over several generations

Sex linked trait- traits that show up in different percentages in males and females because they move with the sex chromosome

Y-linked gene- Genes carried on the Y chromosome

X-linked gene- Genes carried on the X chromosome

Nondisjunction- Homologous chromosomes fail to separate during MEIOSIS

Sex Linked Recessive- mutations linked to the X or Y chromosomes that appear recessive to the normal allele

Sex Linked Dominant- mutations linked to the X or Y chromosomes that appear Dominant to the normal allele

Barr Body- Turned off X chromosome that condenses and forms a dense region in the nucleus