Basic Genetic Terminology

• Recessive alleles require two copies to be expressed, while dominant alleles only need one
• Homozygous individuals have two of the same alleles, while heterozygous individuals have one dominant and one recessive allele
• Genotype is the combination of alleles an individual has, while phenotype is the physical characteristics observed
• A zygote is the stage of development immediately after fertilization
• Heterozygous refers to when one of the inherited alleles is dominant and the other is recessive
• Genotype is the combination of alleles an individual has, for example, Aa
• Phenotype refers to the physical characteristics observed in an individual, such as eye color
• Zygote is the stage of development immediately after fertilization, a diploid (2n) cell formed from the fusion of two haploid gametes