Basic Genetics Terminology

Heterozygous (hybrid)

• Having two identical alleles for a particular trait.

• Having two different alleles for a particular trait.

• Having one dominant and one recessive allele for a trait.

• Having no alleles for a particular trait.

Phenotype

• The genetic makeup of an organism.

• The physical appearance that results from a particular genotype.

• The process of cell division.

• The study of heredity and variation in organisms.

Genotype

• The physical appearance of an organism.

• The genetic makeup of an organism.

• The environmental factors affecting an organism.

• The evolutionary history of an organism.

Heredity

• The process of natural selection in evolution.

• The passing of traits from parents to offspring.

• The study of genes and genetic variation.

• The influence of environment on behavior.

probability

• the likelihood that a particular event will occur

• the measure of how much something weighs

• the chance of an event not happening

• the total number of possible outcomes

Dominant

• An allele that overshadows another allele.

• An allele that is always expressed in the phenotype.

• An allele that is only expressed in the absence of a dominant allele.

• An allele that has no effect on the phenotype.

Genetics

• The scientific study of heredity.

• The study of animal behavior.

• The analysis of chemical compounds in living organisms.

• The examination of geological formations.

Alleles

• Different forms a gene might have for a particular trait.

• The physical location of a gene on a chromosome.

• The observable characteristics of an organism.

• The process by which traits are passed from parents to offspring.

Homozygous (purebred)

• Having two identical alleles for a particular trait.

• Having two different alleles for a particular trait.

• Having one dominant and one recessive allele for a trait.

• Having no alleles for a particular trait.

Recessive

• An allele that gets overshadowed by a dominant allele.

• An allele that always expresses its trait in the phenotype.

• An allele that can only express its trait when paired with another recessive allele.

• An allele that is never expressed in the phenotype.