SCIENCE OLYMPIAD HEREDITY EXAM TEST 2026/2027
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔offspring - ✔✔live organisms that result from reproduction of other organisms.
✔✔sexual reproduction - ✔✔type of reproduction in which two organisms each
contribute half of their genes to produce a new offspring. The new offspring has a
unique set of genes.
✔✔trade-off - ✔✔a benefit that is given up when a decision is made.
✔✔trait - ✔✔any physical characteristic
✔✔asexual reproduction: - ✔✔type of reproduction in which one organism produces a
genetic copy of itself
✔✔clone: - ✔✔A cell or organism that has identical genes to another cell or organism.
✔✔egg cell - ✔✔a sex cell produced by a female.
✔✔identical twin - ✔✔One of a pair of twins that resulted from a single zygote. During
cell division, the embryo is split and each part grows into a new person. Identical twins
are born with the same genes.
✔✔reproduction - ✔✔a process that occurs in an organism in which it produces new
members of its own species (or in cell reproduction, when a cell produces more cells of
its own kind)
✔✔species - ✔✔a grouping of organisms that are similar enough that they can produce
offspring with similar traits to the parent organism(s).
✔✔sperm cell - ✔✔a sex cell produced by a male. In humans, the sex cells combine
DNA to produce a new organism.
✔✔zygote - ✔✔a fertilized egg cell.
✔✔allele - ✔✔alternate form of a gene which may result in a predictable phenotype.
✔✔carrier - ✔✔in genetics, an individual that does not express a given trait but carries a
recessive gene. Usually carriers are heterozygous.
✔✔diversity - ✔✔a description of the variation within a system.
✔✔dominant - ✔✔an allele that is expressed in the homozygous or heterozygous state.
, ✔✔fertilization - ✔✔The combination of genes from an egg and a sperm to create a
zygote.
✔✔genotype - ✔✔a description of the alleles in an individual that affect expression of a
gene or genes.
✔✔heterozygous - ✔✔For a gene, possessing one dominant allele and one recessive
allele
✔✔homozygous - ✔✔For a gene, possessing two dominant alleles or two recessive
alleles.
✔✔phenotype - ✔✔a description of the physical appearance of an organism as it is
affected by the alleles of a gene the organism possesses.
✔✔probability - ✔✔study of mathematics involving the likelihood of possible events
occurring under a set of conditions.
✔✔random - ✔✔occurring by chance, without being pre-determined.
✔✔recessive - ✔✔an allele that is only expressed in the homozygous state.
✔✔pedigree - ✔✔A chart used to illustrate the incidence of a genetic trait in members of
a family.
✔✔syndrome - ✔✔a group of symptoms that are seemingly unrelated but are, in fact,
caused by an underlying condition.
✔✔cell division - ✔✔reproduction of a cell.
✔✔chromosome - ✔✔a structure in the nucleus of cells which contains the genes in the
form of DNA.
✔✔DNA - ✔✔a chemical found in the nucleus which contains the cell's genes.
✔✔X chromosome/Y chromosome - ✔✔The chromosomes in humans that determine
the sex of a person. A female possesses two X chromosomes (one from each parent).
A male possessed an X (from his mother) and a Y (from his father) chromosome.
✔✔gene - ✔✔a unit of inheritance that usually is directly responsible for one trait or
character. Each individual has two genes for each trait, one comes from dad and the
other from mom.
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔offspring - ✔✔live organisms that result from reproduction of other organisms.
✔✔sexual reproduction - ✔✔type of reproduction in which two organisms each
contribute half of their genes to produce a new offspring. The new offspring has a
unique set of genes.
✔✔trade-off - ✔✔a benefit that is given up when a decision is made.
✔✔trait - ✔✔any physical characteristic
✔✔asexual reproduction: - ✔✔type of reproduction in which one organism produces a
genetic copy of itself
✔✔clone: - ✔✔A cell or organism that has identical genes to another cell or organism.
✔✔egg cell - ✔✔a sex cell produced by a female.
✔✔identical twin - ✔✔One of a pair of twins that resulted from a single zygote. During
cell division, the embryo is split and each part grows into a new person. Identical twins
are born with the same genes.
✔✔reproduction - ✔✔a process that occurs in an organism in which it produces new
members of its own species (or in cell reproduction, when a cell produces more cells of
its own kind)
✔✔species - ✔✔a grouping of organisms that are similar enough that they can produce
offspring with similar traits to the parent organism(s).
✔✔sperm cell - ✔✔a sex cell produced by a male. In humans, the sex cells combine
DNA to produce a new organism.
✔✔zygote - ✔✔a fertilized egg cell.
✔✔allele - ✔✔alternate form of a gene which may result in a predictable phenotype.
✔✔carrier - ✔✔in genetics, an individual that does not express a given trait but carries a
recessive gene. Usually carriers are heterozygous.
✔✔diversity - ✔✔a description of the variation within a system.
✔✔dominant - ✔✔an allele that is expressed in the homozygous or heterozygous state.
, ✔✔fertilization - ✔✔The combination of genes from an egg and a sperm to create a
zygote.
✔✔genotype - ✔✔a description of the alleles in an individual that affect expression of a
gene or genes.
✔✔heterozygous - ✔✔For a gene, possessing one dominant allele and one recessive
allele
✔✔homozygous - ✔✔For a gene, possessing two dominant alleles or two recessive
alleles.
✔✔phenotype - ✔✔a description of the physical appearance of an organism as it is
affected by the alleles of a gene the organism possesses.
✔✔probability - ✔✔study of mathematics involving the likelihood of possible events
occurring under a set of conditions.
✔✔random - ✔✔occurring by chance, without being pre-determined.
✔✔recessive - ✔✔an allele that is only expressed in the homozygous state.
✔✔pedigree - ✔✔A chart used to illustrate the incidence of a genetic trait in members of
a family.
✔✔syndrome - ✔✔a group of symptoms that are seemingly unrelated but are, in fact,
caused by an underlying condition.
✔✔cell division - ✔✔reproduction of a cell.
✔✔chromosome - ✔✔a structure in the nucleus of cells which contains the genes in the
form of DNA.
✔✔DNA - ✔✔a chemical found in the nucleus which contains the cell's genes.
✔✔X chromosome/Y chromosome - ✔✔The chromosomes in humans that determine
the sex of a person. A female possesses two X chromosomes (one from each parent).
A male possessed an X (from his mother) and a Y (from his father) chromosome.
✔✔gene - ✔✔a unit of inheritance that usually is directly responsible for one trait or
character. Each individual has two genes for each trait, one comes from dad and the
other from mom.
