b6 - inheritance and variation

Cards (11)

what is a chromosome?
long DNA molecule with part of the genetic material of an organism
where in the cell are chromosomes located?
the nucleus
how many pairs of chromosomes are there in a typical human cell?
23 pairs
what are sex chromosomes?
the 23rd pair of chromosomes. they determine whether an individual is male or female
what is a gene
a gene is a small section of DNA. each gene codes for a particular sequence of amino acids to make a specific protein
what is a ’genome’ of an organism?
the genome of an organism is the entire genetic material of that organism
how could understanding the human genome help science?
it will allow scientists to search for genes linked to a different disease
it could help us understand and treat inherited disorders
it could also be used in tracing human migration patterns from the past
what is an allele?
different versions of the same gene
how many alleles of each gene does an individual have?
2
what does it mean to be ‘homozygous’ for a particular gene?
both alleles of that gene are identical
what does it mean to be ‘heterozygous’ for a particular gene?
the two alleles of that gene are different