Genome: Inheritance, variation and evolution: Biology: GCSE (9:1)

• DNA


  Chemical molecules found in every living organism that hold instructions for growth and development

  
• Genome

  The entire genetic composition of an organism

  
• Genetic material


  The general term for the material used to store genetic information in a cell

  
• Nucleus


  Contains the genetic material in a eukaryotic cell

  
• Polymer


  A material such as DNA that is made of very large molecules that are composed of many smaller repeating subunits

  
• Double helix


  The structure of DNA where two strands of DNA wind around each other like a twisted ladder

  
• Chromosomes


  Molecules of tightly-packed DNA that are wrapped up by proteins and contain many genes

  
• Gene


  A small section of DNA that controls a specific characteristic

  
• Protein synthesis

  Each gene codes for a particular sequence of amino acids which makes up a specific protein

  
• Human genome project


  A genetic research project that started in 1990 and completed in 2003, that successfully mapped and sequence the entire human genome

  
• Treating diseases

  Understanding the human genome has helped medical professionals identify individuals who may be more susceptible to specific diseases

  
• Inherited disorders


  Understanding the human genome makes it easier to identify or predict inheritance of genetic disorders, which can be traced using family trees

  
• Genealogical DNA tests

  A DNA-based test that looks at specific regions of an individual's genome to determine the individual's ancestry and ethnic heritage

  
• Migration patterns

  Genetic markers can be used to map migration patterns by comparing the DNA of different populations or by looking at ancestral fossil DNA

  
• Genetic markers


  Specific regions of the human genome such as the Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA that can be used to study genealogy

  
• Genealogy


  The study of family, family history and the tracing of ancestral lineages