1.
Allele: one of the alternative forms of a gene that governs a characteristic, such as hair color
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Asexual reproduction: a reproductive process that involves only one parent and produces offspring that are identical to the parent
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Chromosomes: threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes
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Dominant trait: the one trait that is expressed when two competing traits are present
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Egg: female reproductive cell
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Fertilization: process in sexual reproduction in which male and female reproductive cells join to form a new cell
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Genetics: the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms
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Genotype: Two-letter set that represents the alleles an organism possesses for a certain trait
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Heredity: the passing of traits from parents to offspring
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Heterozygous: term used to refer to an organism that has two different alleles for the same trait
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Homozygous: term used to refer to an organism that has two identical alleles for a particular trait
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Hybrid: an organism that has two different alleles for a trait; an organism that is heterozygous for a particular trait
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Meiosis: a process in cell division during which the number of chromosomes decreases to half the original number by two divisions of the nucleus, which results in the production of sex cells
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Mitosis: in eukaryotic cells, a process of cell division that forms two new nuclei, each of which has the same number of chromosomes
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Phenotype: The physical traits that appear in an individual as a result of its gentic make up.
16.
Punnett Square: a chart that shows all the possible combinations of alleles that can result from a genetic cross
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Recessive trait: masked by the dominant trait. Only apparent when two recessive alleles for the same characteristic are inherited
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Sexual reproduction: a reproductive process that involves two parents that combine their genetic material to produce a new organism, which differs from both parents
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Sperm: male reproductive cell
20.
Zygote: the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo