Terms in this set (188)
Existing cells Where do all cells come from?
Carrying Capacity The maximum population of a particular organism that a given environment can
support without detrimental effects
Gamete a mature sexual reproductive cell, as a sperm or egg, that unites with another
cell to form a new organism.
Zygote the cell produced by the union of two gametes, before it undergoes cleavage.
Embryo the young of a viviparous animal, especially of a mammal, in the early stages of
development within the womb, in humans up to the end of the second month
Punnett Square a type of grid used to show the gametes of each parent and their possible
offspring; a type of grid that can indicate all the possible outcomes of a
genetic cross
Phenotype The expression of a specific trait based on genetic and environmental
influences.
Genotype the genetic makeup of an organism or group of organisms with reference to a
single trait, set of traits, or an entire complex of traits.
Allele any of several forms of a gene, usually arising through mutation, that are
responsible for hereditary variation.
Homozygous having identical pairs of genes for any given pair of hereditary characteristics
Heterozygous having dissimilar pairs of genes for any hereditary characteristic
Dominant Trait a trait that will appear in the offspring if one of the parents contributes it
Recessive Trait a trait that mustt be contributed by both parents in order to appear in the
offspring
, Georgia Biology EOC
Nondisjunction the failure of chromosomes to separate and segregate into daughter cells at
division
Mutation a sudden change different than the parent type in one or more heritable
characteristics, caused by a change in a gene or a chromosome
Genetic Engineering the development and application of scientific methods, procedures, and
technologies that permit direct manipulation of genetic material in order to
alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population
Recombinant DNA DNA in which one or more segments or genes have been inserted, either
naturally or by laboratory manipulation, from a different molecule or from
another part of the same molecule, resulting in a new genetic combination
Transcription The process by which mRNA is synthesized from a DNA template resulting in
the transfer of genetic information from the DNA molecule to mRNA
Replication the process by which exact copies of complex molecules, such as DNA
molecules, that occurs during growth of living organisms
Traslation The process by which mRNA, tRNA, and ribosomes effect the production of a
protein molecule from amino acids, the specificity of synthesis being controlled
by the base sequences of the mRNA
Ecosystem the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment
Producer An autotrophic organism that serves as a source of food for other organisms in
a food chain. Producers include green plants, which produce food through
photosynthesis, and certain bacteria that are capable of converting inorganic
substances into food through chemosynthesis
Anterior The front surface of the body
Posterior Near the tail end of the body
Chemoautotroph an organism that depends on inorganic chemicals for its energy and principally
on carbon dioxide for its carbon
Dichotomous Key used to identify a plant or animal in which each stage presents descriptions of
two distinguishing characters, with a direction to another stage in the key, until
the species is identified
Binomial Nomenclature a system for naming plants and animals by means of two Latin names: the first
indicating the genus and the second the species to which the organism
belongs