Heredity
The passing on of characteristics from parents to offspring.
Traits
Characteristics that are inherited
Genetics
The branch of biology that studies heredity
Gametes
Male and female sex cells;sperm and egg
Fertilization
Fusion of ale and female gametes
Zygote
Diploid cell formed when a sperm fertilizes an egg
Pollination
From male reproductive organs to female reproductive organs of plants,usually within the same species
Hybrid
The offspring of parents that have different forms of a trait
Alleles
Alternative forms of a gene for each variation of a trait of an organism
Dominant Trait
Observed trait of an organism that masks the recessive form of a trait
Recessive Trait
Trait of an organism that can be masked by the dominant form of a trait
Law of Segregation
Mendelian principle explaining that because each plant has two different alleles, it can produce two different types of gametes
Phenotype
The way an organism looks and behaves
Genotype
The allele combination an organism contains
Homozygous
When there are two identical alleles for a trait
Heterozygous
When there are two different alleles for a trait
Law of Independent Assortment
Mendelian principle stating that genes for different traits are inherited independently of each other.
Diploid
A cell containing two of each kind of chromosome
Haploid
A cell containing one of each chromosome
Homologous Chromosome
The two chromosomes of each pair in a diploid cell
Meiosis
Type of cell division where one body cell produces four gametes, each containing half the number of chromosomes as a parent's body.
Sperm
Egg
Female Gametes
Sexual Reproduction
Pattern of reproduction that involves the production and subsequent fusion of haploid sex cells.
Crossing Over
Exchange of genetic material between nonsister chromatids from homologous chromatids during prophase 1 of meiosis, results in new allele cobinations
Genetic Recombination
Major source of genetic variation among organisms caused by reassortment or crossing over during meiosis
Nondisjunction
The failure of homologous chromosomes to separate during meiosis