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Basic Genetics Vocabulary
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DNA
Deoxyribonucleic Acid, the molecule that carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, and reproduction of all known living organisms.
Gene
A segment of DNA that is responsible for the physical and inheritable characteristics or phenotype of an organism.
Chromosome
A long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. Humans have 23 pairs.
Allele
One of two or more alternative forms of a gene that are found at the same place on a chromosome.
Genotype
The genetic makeup of an organism; the combination of alleles for a given gene.
Phenotype
The physical appearance or biochemical characteristic of an organism as a result of the interaction of its genotype and the environment.
Dominant
An allele that expresses its phenotypic effect even when heterozygous with a recessive allele; if present, it determines the phenotype.
Recessive
An allele that only expresses its phenotypic effect when homozygous; its effect is masked by a dominant allele.
Homozygous
Having two identical alleles for a particular gene.
Heterozygous
Having two different alleles for a particular gene.
DNA Replication
The process by which a double-stranded DNA molecule is copied to produce two identical DNA molecules.
Mutation
A change in the DNA sequence that can lead to a change in the gene product.
RNA
Ribonucleic Acid, a molecule involved in protein synthesis and the transmission of genetic information.
Transcription
The process in which a segment of DNA is copied into RNA by the enzyme RNA polymerase.
Translation
The process in which ribosomes in a cell's cytoplasm create proteins, following transcription of DNA to RNA in the cell nucleus.
Codon
A sequence of three nucleotides that together form a unit of genetic code in a DNA or RNA molecule.
Genetic Code
The set of rules by which information encoded in genetic material (DNA or RNA sequences) is translated into proteins.
mRNA
Messenger RNA, a type of RNA that carries genetic information from the DNA to the ribosome, where it specifies the amino acid sequence.
tRNA
Transfer RNA, a type of RNA that carries amino acids to the ribosome for incorporation into a protein.
rRNA
Ribosomal RNA, a molecular component of a ribosome, the cell's essential protein factory.
Meiosis
A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in the production of haploid gametes or spores.
Mitosis
A type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus.
Nucleotide
The basic building block of DNA and RNA, consisting of a base, a molecule of sugar, and one phosphate group.
Central Dogma
The theory that genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to Protein, but not in reverse.
Karyotype
The number, size, and shape of chromosomes in an organism.
Polygenic Inheritance
A non-Mendelian form of inheritance in which a trait is controlled by several genes at different loci.
Punnett Square
A diagram used to predict the outcome of a particular cross or breeding experiment.
Genetic Drift
A mechanism of evolution in which allele frequencies of a population change over generations due to chance (sampling error).
Linkage
The tendency of DNA sequences that are close together on a chromosome to be inherited together during the meiosis phase of sexual reproduction.
Epigenetics
The study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself.
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