Genetics Vocabulary

Heredity The passing of traits from parents to offspring.

Genes One set of instructions donated from parent to offspring.

chromosomes Genetic information inside the nucleus of the sperm and egg cells.

Genotype Inherited combination of alleles

Phenotype The way an organism looks or behaves.

Allele Different forms of a trait that a gene may have.

Dominant Allele that always appears or covers up the other trait.

Recessive The trait that seems to vanish, or disappear.

Homozygous Refers to having identical alleles for a trait.

Heterozygous Refers to having different alleles for a trait.

Gregor Mendel Known as the “father of Genetics”

Punnett Square Diagram used to help predict what an offspring will look like.