Skip to content

Terms and definitions

Everything in this flashcard set.

heredity
The biological process whereby genetic factors are transmitted from one generation to the next
genetics
The branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms
trait
A distinguishing feature of your personal nature
hybrid
An organism that is the offspring of genetically dissimilar parents or stock
gene
A segment of DNA that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain
allele
Either of a pair of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular
dominant
The fifth note of the diatonic scale
recessive
An allele that produces its characteristic phenotype only when its paired allele is identical
phenotype
What an organism looks like as a consequence of the interaction of its genotype and the environment
genotype
A group of organisms sharing a specific genetic constitution
homozygous
Having identical alleles at corresponding chromosomal loci
heterozygous
Having dissimilar alleles at corresponding chromosomal loci
segregation
The separation of paired alleles during meiosis so that members of each pair of alleles appear
haploid
An organism or cell having only one complete set of chromosomes
diploid
An organism or cell having the normal amount of DNA per cell
meiosis
Understatement for rhetorical effect
crossing over
The interchange of sections between pairing homologous chromosomes during the prophase of meiosis
incomplete
Not complete or total
polygenic
Of or relating to an inheritable character that is controlled by several genes at once

Explore more

More in Human Body

More from BrightComet