Heredity and Punnett Squares

Front

What is a phenotype?

Back

A phenotype is the observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, as determined by both genetic makeup and environmental influences.

Front

What is a genotype?

Back

A genotype is the genetic constitution of an individual, specifically the alleles present for a particular gene.

Front

What does homozygous mean?

Back

Homozygous refers to having two identical alleles for a particular gene, such as 'TT' or 'tt'.

Front

What does heterozygous mean?

Back

Heterozygous refers to having two different alleles for a particular gene, such as 'Tt'.

Front

What is the dominant allele?

Back

The dominant allele is the variant of a gene that is expressed in the phenotype even when only one copy is present.

Front

What is the recessive allele?

Back

The recessive allele is the variant of a gene that is only expressed in the phenotype when two copies are present.

Front

If 'G' represents green and 'g' represents yellow, what is the genotype for a green plant?

Back

The genotype for a green plant can be either 'GG' (homozygous dominant) or 'Gg' (heterozygous).

Front

What is a Punnett square?

Back

A Punnett square is a diagram used to predict the outcome of a genetic cross by showing the possible combinations of alleles from the parents.

Front

How do you determine the probability of a trait using a Punnett square?

Back

To determine the probability of a trait, count the number of squares showing the desired genotype or phenotype and divide by the total number of squares.

Front

What is the significance of the letter 'T' in genetics?

Back

In genetics, letters are used to represent alleles; 'T' typically represents a dominant allele, while 't' represents a recessive allele.