Genetics Vocabulary SY2021
Heredity - Passing traits from parent to offspring
Genetics - The study of heredity and variation in organisms
DNA - The genetic material which determines the traits of the organism, found in the nucleus
of the cells
Chromosomes -Threadlike strands of DNA and proteins that code for the traits of the organism
Gene - A distinct unit of hereditary material on the chromosome
Allele - Different forms of a gene controlling a particular trait
Dominant allele - T The form of a gene that can mask the recessive allele.
The form that is expressed or “shown.”
Recessive allele - t The form of a the gene that can be masked or hidden by the dominant
allele.
Heterozygous - Tt An organism that has two different allele for a trait.
Homozygous -TT tt An organism that has two of the same alleles for a trait.
Genotype - The genetic makeup of an organism.
Phenotype - The physical traits of an organism. What is seen.
Purebred - TT tt Homozygous, has two of the same alleles for a trait.
Hybrid –Tt Heterozygous, has two different alleles.
Punnett Square - A diagram to show the possibilities of traits for the offspring of “parents”.
Cross - Punnett square, showing the possibilities of traits combining for offspring from the
parents.
Probability - The chance or percentage of offspring having certain traits.