Genetics glossary

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a glossary of terms commonly used in the study of genetics and related disciplines in biology. It is intended as introductory material for novices; for more specific and technical detail, please see the article corresponding to each term. Introductory articles in the field include:

Contents:	Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[edit] A

Allele: one of multiple alternative forms of a single gene, each of which is a viable DNA sequence occupying a given position, or locus on a chromosome. For example, in humans, one allele of the eye-color gene produces blue eyes and another allele of the eye-color gene produces brown eyes.

[edit] C

Chromosome: a molecular "package" for carrying DNA in cells, organized as two double-helical DNA molecules that encode many genes. Some simple organisms have only one chromosome made of circular DNA, while most eukaryotes have multiple chromosomes made of linear DNA.

[edit] D

DNA: a long molecule that has the form of a "double helix". It resembles a ladder that has been twisted. In eukaryotes such as animals and plants, the DNA is stored inside the cell nucleus, while in prokaryotes such as bacteria, the DNA is in the cell's cytoplasm.

[edit] G

Gene: the unit of heredity in living organisms, typically encoded in a sequence of nucleotide monomers that make up a long strand of DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. A particular gene can have multiple different forms, or alleles, which are defined by different sequences of DNA.