Genetic Vocabulary

TRAITS

• A characteristic or property of an organism

DOMINANT TRAITS

• A genetic trait passed from parent to child that is most likely to be expressed

CHROMOSOMES

• a tightly wound bundle of DNA and proteins found in the nucleus of most living cells

Heredity

• the passing of traits from parent to offspring

Gene

• the basic unit of heredity in a living organism; a segment of DNA or RNA

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.

Allele

• one member of a pair or series of genes on specific chromosomes in specific positions

Punnett Square

• a chart used to determine the possible genetic outcomes for offspring of a given cross

Phenotype

• the observable traits of an organism passed on from parent to offspring

Genotype

• internal genetic coding passed on from one generation to the next

Homozygous

• Homozygous is a genetic condition where an individual inherits the same alleles for a particular gene from both parents.

Heterozygous

• having different pairs of genes for any given pair of hereditary characteristics

DNA

• found in the nucleus of a cell, a long nucleic acid molecule containing the genetic instructions for the development and functioning of all living organisms; abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid

Prokaryote

• individual microscopic organism with no nucleus

Eukaryote

• A eukaryote is any organism whose cells contain a nucleus and other organelles enclosed within membranes.