Biology Chapter 11 Assessment

Alleles: Different forms of a gene responsible for variations in traits.
Phenotype: The observable physical characteristics of an organism resulting from genetic and environmental influences.
Homozygous: Organisms with two identical alleles for a specific trait (e.g., BB or bb).
Hybrid: Offspring resulting from a cross between parents with different traits, indicating heterozygosity (e.g., Bb).
Multiple Alleles: A genetic scenario where a gene exists in more than two forms, providing a richer variation of traits.

Principle of Unit Characters: Traits are passed from parents to offspring as individual units.
Principle of Dominance: Some alleles can dominate others, masking their effects; dominant traits exhibit in phenotype when present.
Principle of Segregation: Alleles distribute into different gametes during reproduction, ensuring genetic variability.
Principle of Independent Assortment: Genes segregate independently of one another during gamete formation.

Incomplete Dominance: Occurs when the phenotype of heterozygotes is intermediate between the phenotypes of homozygotes (example: pink flowers from red and white parents).
Polygenic Traits: Traits controlled by multiple genes, each potentially carrying multiple alleles, leading to a spectrum of phenotypes.

Meiosis: Process resulting in four haploid gamete cells, each containing half the chromosome number of the original cell.
Chromosome Number: Halves during meiosis to ensure offspring maintain the species' chromosome count.

Gene Map: Represents the relative locations of genes on a chromosome, aiding in tracking inheritance and predicting traits.

Non-genetic Factors: An organism's traits are influenced not only by genetics but also by environmental factors like nutrition and exposure, highlighting the importance of both genotype and phenotype interactions.