AP _Unit 5_ Meiosis and Genetics_ GENETICS

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What is meiosis?

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Meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in four genetically diverse gametes (sperm or eggs). It is essential for sexual reproduction.

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What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?

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Genotype refers to the genetic makeup of an organism (e.g., alleles), while phenotype is the observable physical or biochemical characteristics (e.g., flower color) resulting from the genotype.

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What does it mean for a trait to be recessive?

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A recessive trait is one that is expressed in the phenotype only when two copies of the recessive allele are present (homozygous). If a dominant allele is present, the recessive trait will not be expressed.

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What is a carrier in genetics?

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A carrier is an individual who has one copy of a recessive allele for a trait but does not exhibit the trait themselves. For example, a female carrier for hemophilia has one normal allele and one allele for hemophilia (X^H X^h).

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What is codominance?

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Codominance is a genetic scenario where both alleles in a heterozygote are fully expressed, resulting in a phenotype that shows both traits equally (e.g., AB blood type).

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What is incomplete dominance?

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Incomplete dominance is a genetic situation where the phenotype of a heterozygote is intermediate between the phenotypes of the two homozygotes (e.g., red and white flowers producing pink flowers).

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What is a polygenic trait?

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A polygenic trait is one that is controlled by multiple genes, leading to a wide range of phenotypes (e.g., human height, skin color).

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What is the principle of independent assortment?

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The principle of independent assortment states that alleles for different traits segregate independently of one another during gamete formation, leading to genetic variation.

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What is crossing over?

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Crossing over is the exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes during meiosis, which increases genetic diversity in the offspring.

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What is an allele?

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An allele is a variant form of a gene that can produce different traits. For example, the gene for flower color may have a purple allele and a white allele.