Genetics

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What is a gene?

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A gene is a segment of DNA that contains the instructions for building a specific protein or set of proteins, which ultimately determine traits in an organism.

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What is an allele?

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An allele is a variant form of a gene that can produce different traits. For example, a gene for flower color may have a purple allele and a white allele.

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What does homozygous mean?

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Homozygous refers to having two identical alleles for a particular gene, such as 'AA' or 'aa'.

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What does heterozygous mean?

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Heterozygous refers to having two different alleles for a particular gene, such as 'Aa'.

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What is a dominant allele?

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A dominant allele is an allele that expresses its trait even when only one copy is present in the genotype.

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What is a recessive allele?

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A recessive allele is an allele that only expresses its trait when two copies are present in the genotype.

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What is genotype?

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Genotype is the genetic makeup of an organism, represented by the alleles it possesses for a particular gene.

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What is phenotype?

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Phenotype is the observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, determined by its genotype and environment.

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What is the principle of segregation?

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The principle of segregation states that during the formation of gametes, the two alleles for a gene separate from each other so that each gamete carries only one allele.

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What is the principle of independent assortment?

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The principle of independent assortment states that alleles for different genes segregate independently of one another during gamete formation.