Transcript geneticsvocab

Genetics Vocabulary
What is genetics?
It is the study
of how traits
are passed
on from
parent to
offspring.
 Heredity: the passing of traits from
parents to offspring(children)
 Our parents pass on to us the color of
our hair, eyes, height, etc.
 Sometimes you might have curly hair
even though both parents have
straight hair. Why?
What is asexual reproduction?
 Asexual Reproduction- when only
one parent is needed.
 Offspring is genetically identical (the
same) as the parent.
Starfish
Bacteria
Spider Plant
What is sexual reproduction?
 The combination of two parent cells
to make an offspring
 When genetic material (male and
female)combine to make offspring
The joining of a
sperm and egg to
sexually
reproduce
offspring
 Self-pollinating plant- has both male
and female reproductive structures
 Pollen from one flower or plant can
fertilize the eggs of the same flower or
the eggs of another flower of the same
plant
It can
pollinate
another
flower or
itself
 True-breeding plant: plant will
always produce offspring with the
same trait the parent plant has.
 Example: A true-breeding plant with
yellow flowers will always have offspring
with yellow flowers.
What is a gene?
 Genes: segments of DNA on a
chromosome that control inherited
traits
 It tells you your hair color, eye color etc.
What is an allele?
 Alleles: a letter that is used to
represent a genetic trait
 Each gene is represented by two
alleles or two letters (one from each
parent)
Ex. Hair color- one allele from mother and
one from the father
 Brown hair is represented by a B and blond hair
is represented by a b.
 Genotype: letter representation of a trait
 You cant see it!
 Ex.
E – dark colored eyes
H – straight hair
e – blue eyes
h – curly hair
 Phenotype: What the trait looks like
 You can use your five senses to see it.
 Ex. You can see the color of your hair.
 Dominant Trait: It is a gene/trait that always
shows up.
 It always takes over.
 It is represented by a CAPITAL LETTER.
 Examples: Brown eyes – B

Freckles – F
 Recessive Trait:
A RECESSIVE trait is a
gene/trait that is hidden when the
dominant gene is present.
 It only shows up when it is by itself.
 It is represented by a lower case letter.
Examples: Blue eyes – b

No freckles – f
What are Homozygous Alleles?
Homozygous means having the same
alleles for one gene.
Examples:
Brown eyes – BB
Blue eyes - bb
Freckles – FF
Straight hair - hh
What are Heterozygous
Alleles?
Heterozygous means having the different
alleles for one gene.
Examples:
Brown eyes – Bb
Freckles - Ff
What is a punnet square?
 Punnett Square:It
is a genetic
diagram that
helps scientist
to predict the
chances of
getting a
certain trait.
What is probability?
 Probability: the mathematical
chance that an event will happen
 Probablility is used in genetics to see
the chance that a certain traits will
occur.
Ex. The probability that you were going to
be born a female was 50%