Genetics Word List

Danielle A.
41 words 225 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. dominant allele
    an allele that produces the same phenotype whether its paired allele is identical or different
    The Nature of Alleles

    A dominant allele is an allele that is almost always expressed, even if only one copy is present.
  2. coding DNA
    sequence of a gene's DNA that transcribes into protein structures
    Another class of non-coding DNA is the "pseudogene", so named because it is believed to be a remnant of a real gene that has suffered mutations and is no longer functional.
  3. phenotypic
    of or relating to or constituting a phenotype
    These expressed, or phenotypic, traits are attributable to genotypic variation in a person's DNA sequence.
  4. genotypic
    of or relating to or constituting a genotype
    These expressed, or phenotypic, traits are attributable to genotypic variation in a person's DNA sequence.
  5. allele
    any of the forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus
    Methylation also plays an important role in genomic imprinting, which occurs when both maternal and paternal alleles are present but only one allele is expressed while the other remains inactive.
  6. recessive allele
    an allele that produces its characteristic phenotype only when its paired allele is identical
    On the other hand, a recessive allele will be expressed only if there are two identical copies of that allele, or for a male, if one copy is present on the X chromosome.
  7. phenotype
    observable characteristics produced by genes and environment
    When two individuals display different phenotypes of the same trait, they are said to have two different alleles for the same gene.
  8. gene expression
    conversion of the information encoded in a gene first into messenger RNA and then to a protein
    Genes code for proteins that attach to the genome at the appropriate positions and switch on a series of reactions called gene expression.
  9. mitochondrion
    part of a cell involved in energy production
    Organelle DNA

    Not all genetic information is found in nuclear DNA. Both plants and animals have an organelle-a "little organ" within the cell- called the mitochondrion.
  10. ribosome
    a particle in a cell that helps synthesize proteins
    Because mitochondria have their own DNA, RNA, and ribosomes, this scenario is quite possible.
  11. heterozygous
    having dissimilar alleles at corresponding chromosomal loci
    If the alleles are different, they are said to be heterozygous.
  12. blood type
    human blood cells that have the same antigens
    Then there are the not so obvious genetic variations, such as blood type.
  13. meiosis
    cell division that produces reproductive cells
    Meiosis is the mode of cell replication for the formation of sperm and egg cells in plants, animals, and many other multicellular life forms.
  14. gene
    part of DNA controlling physical characteristics and growth
    The biological information contained in a genome is encoded in its deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and is divided into discrete units called genes.
  15. DNA
    material that carries genetic information in a cell
    The biological information contained in a genome is encoded in its deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and is divided into discrete units called genes.
  16. organelle
    a specialized part of a cell; analogous to an organ
    Organelle DNA

    Not all genetic information is found in nuclear DNA. Both plants and animals have an organelle-a "little organ" within the cell- called the mitochondrion.
  17. homozygous
    having identical alleles at corresponding chromosomal loci
    If both alleles are the same, the gene is said to be homozygous.
  18. chromosome
    a threadlike strand of DNA that carries genes
    In 1909, Danish botanist Wilhelm Johanssen coined the word gene for the hereditary unit found on a chromosome.
  19. mutation
    a change or alteration in form or qualities
    There are many diseases caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
  20. recessive
    of or pertaining to a recession
    These factors each exhibit a characteristic dominant, co-dominant, or recessive expression, and those that are dominant will mask the expression of those that are recessive.
  21. mitosis
    the process by which a cell divides into two new cells
    Cells that compose tissues in multicellular organisms typically replicate by organized duplication and spatial separation of their cellular genetic material, a process called mitosis.
  22. sex chromosome
    a chromosome that determines the sex of an individual
    A particularly important category of genetic linkage has to do with the X and Y sex chromosomes.
  23. coding
    act of writing in code or cipher
    In the human genome, the coding portions of a gene, called exons, are interrupted by intervening sequences, called introns.
  24. genetic code
    the ordering of nucleotides in DNA molecules that carries the genetic information in living cells
    The genetic code carried by DNA is what specifies the order and number of amino acids and, therefore, the shape and function of the protein.
  25. daughter cell
    a cell formed by the division or budding of another cell
    The centromere, shown at the center of this chromosome, is a specialized structure that appears during cell division and ensures the correct distribution of duplicated chromosomes to daughter cells.
  26. genetic
    relating to the study of heredity and variation in organisms
    The Physical Structure of the Human Genome

    Nuclear DNA

    Inside each of our cells lies a nucleus, a membrane-bounded region that provides a sanctuary for genetic information.
  27. Gregor Mendel
    Augustinian monk and botanist whose experiments in breeding garden peas led to his eventual recognition as founder of the science of genetics (1822-1884)
    Nearly 50 years earlier, Gregor Mendel had characterized hereditary units as factors- observable differences that were passed from parent to offspring.
  28. X chromosome
    the sex chromosome that is present in both sexes: singly in males and doubly in females
    On the other hand, a recessive allele will be expressed only if there are two identical copies of that allele, or for a male, if one copy is present on the X chromosome.
  29. Mendel
    Augustinian monk and botanist whose experiments in breeding garden peas led to his eventual recognition as founder of the science of genetics (1822-1884)
    Nearly 50 years earlier, Gregor Mendel had characterized hereditary units as factors- observable differences that were passed from parent to offspring.
  30. dominant gene
    gene that produces the same phenotype in the organism whether or not its allele identical
    Just how the dominant allele overshadows the other allele depends on the gene, but in some cases the dominant gene produces a gene product that the other allele does not.
  31. egg cell
    the female reproductive cell; the female gamete
    Upon fertilization, an egg cell begins to multiply to produce a ball of cells that are all the same.
  32. molecule
    the simplest structural unit of an element or compound
    In a DNA chain, every base is attached to a sugar molecule (deoxyribose) and a phosphate molecule, resulting in a nucleic acid or nucleotide.
  33. sickle cell
    an abnormal red blood cell that has a crescent shape and an abnormal form of hemoglobin
    Examples of recessive disorders in humans include sickle cell anemia, Tay-Sachs disease, and phenylketonuria (PKU).
  34. dominant
    most frequent or common
    These factors each exhibit a characteristic dominant, co-dominant, or recessive expression, and those that are dominant will mask the expression of those that are recessive.
  35. trait
    a distinguishing feature of your personal nature
    Another way to think of genomic imprinting is as "parent of origin differences" in the expression of inherited traits.
  36. sperm
    the male reproductive cell; the male gamete
    This is because mitochondria are only found in the female gametes or "eggs" of sexually reproducing animals, not in the male gamete, or sperm.
  37. cell division
    the process in reproduction and growth by which a cell divides to form daughter cells
    Although they do not play a role in the coding of proteins, they do play a significant role in chromosome structure, duplication, and cell division.
  38. fertilization
    making productive by adding nutrients
    However, when the sperm enters the egg during fertilization, the tail falls off, taking away the father's mitochondria.
  39. chloroplast
    organelle in which photosynthesis takes place
    Plants also have a second organelle, the chloroplast, which also has its own DNA. Cells often have multiple mitochondria, particularly cells requiring lots of energy, such as active muscle cells.
  40. sperm cell
    the male reproductive cell; the male gamete
    In the first stages of development, a sperm cell and egg cell fuse.
  41. fertilized egg
    an animal organism in the early stages of growth and differentiation that in higher forms merge into fetal stages but in lower forms terminate in commencement of larval life
    In multicellular organisms, every cell in the adult is ultimately derived from the single-cell fertilized egg.
Created on Thu Mar 10 10:13:27 EST 2011

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.