DNA- (Deoxyribonucleic acid)- genetic material that carries the information about
an organism and is passed from parent to offspring.
Humans contain 23 pairs of chromosomes- a total of 46 chromosomes (23 from mom
and 23 from dad).
Heredity-the passing of traits from parents to offspring.
Most of the time DNA is loose strands in the nucleus (chromatin), but once a cell gets
ready to divide, it produces condensed strands (Chromosomes).
Chromosomes must replicate before they can divide. Why? You don’t want to lose half
of yourself do you?
DNA are made up four different nitrogen bases pairs. Adenine (A), Thymine (T),
Guanine (G), Cytosine (C) are the nitrogen bases. Adenine always pairs with
Thymine and Guanine always pairs with Cytosine. With these four base pairs, there
are 8,000,000 possible outcomes between two parents and the arrangement of
chromosomes.
The order of the nitrogen bases is a genetic code to produce specific proteins when the
body needs them.
Gene- a set of information that controls a trait; a segment of DNA on a chromosome that
codes for a specific trait (hair color, eye color, ear lobes).
Traits- characteristics that an organism can be pass on to its offspring through its genes.
Alleles- the different forms of a gene.
Homozygous trait- having two identical alleles for a trait.
Heterozygous trait- having different alleles for a trait.
Genotype- genetic make up.
Phenotype- physical appearance or visible trait.