1. Gene - a
segment of DNA that represents the information used to make a particular
protein or trait.
2.
Trait - a
characteristic feature of an organism. Such as eye color, ability to produce
insulin, height, curly or straight hair.
3. Allele - a letter used to represent the
presence of a trait.
4. Dominant allele – a capital letter
representing the major influencing gene for that trait. Example: B for the brown eye trait.
5. Recessive allele – a lower
case letter representing the minor or non-influencing gene for that trait.
Example: b for the blue eye trait.
6. Genome – the total of all genes in an
organism, the
blueprint of that individual.
7. genotype – the complete set of both genes
for a trait.
Ex. Bb or B?
8. phenotype – the observable trait, not
taking into account all the genes. Ex. blue eyes.
9. Zygote - a fertilized egg containing 46 V shaped chromosomes
(diploid).
10. Heterozygote – a zygote or individual having different genes / alleles for a trait. Ex. Bb
11. Homozygote – a zygote
or individual having the same genes / alleles for a trait.
Ex. BB or bb
12. homozygous dominant – a genotype with both
alleles dominant (capital letters) ex. BB
13. homozygous recessive – a genotype with both alleles recessive (lowercase letters) ex. bb
14. Gregor Mendel – the father of genetics, he studied heredity in pea plants.
15. Punnet Square – a visual representation of inheritance of alleles.