Botany 3

  • Allele: Different forms of a gene at a particular locus (position on a chromosome).

  • Bacteriophage: A virus that infects and replicates within bacteria.

  • Central Dogma: The fundamental principle of molecular biology stating that the flow of genetic information is typically from DNA to RNA to protein.

  • Codon: A sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid or a stop signal during translation.

  • Dominant Allele: An allele whose trait is always expressed when present in a heterozygote.

  • Gene: A specific segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a functional product (either RNA or protein).

  • Genetic Drift: Random fluctuations in allele frequencies from one generation to the next, especially significant in small populations.

  • Genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism, referring to the specific alleles it possesses.

  • Heterozygous: Having two different alleles for a particular gene.

  • Homozygous: Having two identical alleles for a particular gene.

  • Law of Independent Assortment: Mendel's law stating that alleles for different traits segregate independently of one another during gamete formation.

  • Law of Segregation: Mendel's law stating that the two alleles for a heritable character segregate during gamete formation and end up in different gametes.

  • Mutation: A heritable change in the DNA sequence of an organism.

  • Natural Selection: The process by which organisms with heritable traits that better suit their environment tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than individuals without those traits.

  • Phenotype: The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, resulting from the interaction of its genotype and the environment.

  • Recessive Allele: An allele whose trait is masked in a heterozygote by the presence of a dominant allele.

  • Speciation: The evolutionary process by which new biological species arise.

  • Transcription: The process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template.

  • Translation: The process of synthesizing a polypeptide chain (protein) from an mRNA template.