Genetics Vocabulary

Front

What is a trait?

Back

A characteristic of an organism, such as skin color, eye color, hair type, or allergies.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Front

What is a phenotype?

Back

The observable physical characteristics of an organism, such as blue eyes or curly hair.

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS3-2

Front

What is a Punnett Square?

Back

A special chart used to show possible gene combinations in offspring.

Front

What is genetics?

Back

The science that studies how traits are inherited through the interactions of alleles.

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS3-1

NGSS.HS-LS3-2

Front

What is a gene?

Back

A segment of DNA that determines or helps to determine a trait.

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS3-1

Front

What is heredity?

Back

The passing of traits from parents to offspring.

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS3-1

NGSS.HS-LS3-2

Front

What is a genotype?

Back

The genetic makeup of an organism, representing the alleles inherited from parents.

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS3-1

NGSS.HS-LS3-2

Front

What is an allele?

Back

Different forms of a gene that can exist at a specific locus on a chromosome.

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS3-2

Front

What is a hybrid?

Back

An organism that has two different alleles for a trait.

Front

What is a dominant allele?

Back

An allele that expresses its trait even in the presence of a recessive allele.

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS3-1