University:
Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools
Course:
AP Biology
Academic year:

2015
Views:

313

Pages:

2
Author:

Rose Newman

Heredity and Genetics Vocabulary (Part 1) 1. 2. 3. Chromosome: The structure in a cell that contains the cell’s genetic material. DNA: The genetic material found in all living cells that contains the information needed for an organism to grow, maintain itself, and reproduce. DNA stands for a long word: Deoxyribonucleic acid (pronounced dee-AKH-see-RY-boh-noo-KLEE-ihk). Gene: The basic unit of heredity that consists of a segment of DNA on a chromosome. Image showing Cells, Chromosomes, DNA, and Genes 4. 5. 6. 7. Genetic variation: The variation (different versions) of genes that occurs in a population. Asexual reproduction: The process by which a single organism (only one parent cell) produces offspring that have the same genetic material. Budding: A process in which an organism develops tiny buds on its body. Each bud forms from the parent’s cells, so the bud’s genetic material is the same as the parent’s. The bud grows until it forms a new organism that is genetically identical to the parent. Mitosis: The phase in the cell cycle during which the nucleus divides. Mitosis is a type of asexual reproduction (only one parent cell; one cell splits to become two cells with the same genetic information). 8. 9. 10. 11. Sexual reproduction: A type of reproduction in which male and female reproductive cells combine to form offspring with genetic material from both cells. Meiosis: A part of sexual reproduction in which cells divide to form sperm cells in a male and egg cells in a female. Meiosis occurs only in reproductive cells. Fertilization: Part of the process of sexual reproduction in which a male reproductive cell and a female reproductive cell combine to form a new cell that can develop into a new organism. Gamete: A sperm or egg cell, containing half the usual number of chromosomes of an organism, which is found only in the reproductive organs of a plant or animal.