Genetic diagrams

• Genes inherited control what characteristics you develop
• different genes control different characteristics. Some characteristics are controlled by a single gene however some characteristics are controlled by several genes interacting
• all genes exist in versions called alleles, alleles are different versions of the same gene
• if an organism has 2 alleles for a particular gene that are the same, then it’s homozygous for that trait. If they are different then it’s called heterozygous
• dominant alleles overrules the recessive one if the other organism is heterozygous
• your genotype is the combination of alleles you have, they work at a molecular level to determine what characteristics you have - your phenotype