PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Trait
a distinguishing characteristic or quality, especially of one's personal nature.
Dominant trait
An inherited trait that results from the expression of the dominant allele over the recessive allele.
Chromosome
any of several threadlike bodies, consisting of chromatin, that carry the genes in a linear order: the human species has 23 pairs, designated 1 to 22 in order of decreasing size and X and Y for the female and male sex chromosomes respectively.
Heredity
the transmission of genetic characters from parents to offspring: it is dependent upon the segregation and recombination of genes during meiosis and fertilization and results in the genesis of a new individual similar to others of its kind but exhibiting certain variations resulting from the particular mix of genes and their interactions with the environment.
Gene
he basic physical unit of heredity; a linear sequence of nucleotides along a segment of DNA that provides the coded instructions for synthesis of RNA, which, when translated into protein, leads to the expression of hereditary character.
Recessive trait
In genetics, a trait that must be contributed by both parents in order to appear in the offspring. Recessive traits can be carried in a person's genes without appearing in that person.
Punnett Square
Geneticists use Punnett squares to determine all the possible genotypes and phenotypes that offspring can inherit from their parents. A genotype is a combination of genes and may be made up of dominant or recessive genes or a combination of the two.
Phenotype
the composite of an organism's observable characteristics or traits, such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, phenology, behavior, and products of behavior
Allele
any of several forms of a gene, usually arising through mutation, that are responsible for hereditary variation.
Genotype
the genetic makeup of a cell, an organism, or an individual usually with reference to a specific characteristic under consideration.
Homozygous
a genetic condition where an individual inherits the same alleles for a particular gene from both parents.
Heterozygous
The genetic makeup of a cell, an organism, or an individual usually with reference to a specific characteristic under consideration.
DNA
DNA is a double helix, while RNA is a single helix. Both have sets of nucleotides that contain genetic information. Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA is a molecule that contains the instructions an organism needs to develop, live and reproduce.
Prokaryote
A prokaryote is a single-celled organism that lacks a membrane-bound nucleus ( karyon), mitochondria, or any other membrane-bound organelles.
Eukaryote
an organism consisting of a cell or cells in which the genetic material is DNA in the form of chromosomes contained within a distinct nucleus. Eukaryotes include all living organisms other than the eubacteria and archaebacteria.
