Genetics Vocabulary

3. Genetics The field of biology that studies how characteristics are transmitted from parents to offspring.
4. The transfer of pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of a flower on a different plant.
8. The physical characteristics of an organism.
9. One of a number of alternative or different forms of a gene.
11. The parental generation. The first two individuals that mate in a genetic cross.
14. The offspring of parents with different traits.
15. The genetic makeup of an organism, consisting of the alleles inherited from parents.
17. The first generation of offspring obtained from a genetic cross of two organisms.
19. The “Father of Genetics” who first developed the basic rules of genetics.
20. A specific characteristic that varies from one individual to another.

1. The joining together of male and female gametes.
2. Rod-shaped structures made of proteins and a single strand of DNA containing the genetic information that is passed from one generation to the next.
5. The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma of the same flower, or to another flower found on the same plant.
6. The transmission of traits from parents to offspring.
7. The symbol used to represent a dominant allele in a genetic cross.
10. The symbol used to represent a recessive allele in a genetic cross.
12. A term that describes plants that are homozygous for a trait. They always produce offspring identical to themselves if allowed to self-pollinate.
13. A segment of DNA that is located on a chromosome and that codes for a hereditary trait.
16. The second generation of offspring obtained from a genetic cross of two organisms from the first generation of offspring.
18. The process that occurs when pollen is transferred from the anther, which is the male part of the flower, to the stigma, which is the female part of the flower.