Glossary of Terms

Allele: One term of a gene. There may be two or more alleles of any particular gene. Diploid organisms contain two alleles, one on each pair of chromosomes. For example, in pea plants, the gene for flower colour may have a red and white allele. Genotype: The genetic makeup of an individual. Phenotype: The physical expression of the genotype. Dominant: The allele which is present is expressed. If the red allele in the pea plant is dominant, the pea plant will have red flowers even if the white allele is present. Recessive: The allele which is expressed only in the absence of the dominant. In the pea plant, it would only have white flowers if both white alleles were present. Homozygous: The two alleles of a gene are different. In a pea plant a heterozygous individual could have red allele and a white allele.

INHERITENCE
Selective breeding involves selecting parents with desirable traits and mating them with a view to producing offspring with that trait. Selective breeding is practised in horticulture and horse racing. Passing on characteristics from one generation to another is called heredity. Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk who came up with theories of inheritance by studying pea plants. He controlled their breeding by taking pollen from one plant and putting it on the stigma of other plants. Mendel crossed a pure breeding tall plant with a pure breeding short plant. He found that all the offspring were tall. But when he crossed the offspring, he discovered that the shortness factor had not disappeared altogether. He found that a quarter of the second generation were short. He called shortness a recessive factor. He called tallness the dominant factor. A plant is a hybrid if it has parents with both alternative (such as tallness and shortness).we now know that Mendels factors are genes. Alternative forms of each gene are called alleles. Differences or variations occur between individuals because they have different genes. Indiviudals have different genes because the joining of gametes during fertilisation is a random process, and new combinations of genes occur. BY NASSIM MENKARA

Structure of DNA
DNA is the stuff of which genes are made. It is so important for two reasons: 1. It contains all the information for all reactions and structures in living things. 2. It can replicate to ensure that information is passed down from generation to generation. DNA was first isolated in 1860. The components of DNA were first identified in 1920s. At this time, Mendel was doing many studies on inherited characteristics. DNA is made up of four nitrogenous bases adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine. It is also made up of sugar and phosphate. Watson and Crick were the first to identify exactly how these components were arranged. This happened in 1953, and they won a Nobel Prize. Theirs was a very important discovery, as it paved the way for many revolutionary fields of study, including genetic engineering.

BY NASSIM MENKARA

BIOTECHNOLOGY Biotechnology describes the way we use plant and animal cells and micro-organisms to produce useful substances and to perform tasks for us. Examples of biotechnology include bread production, cheese production and brewing. Biotechnology also includes stem cell research, genetic modification of crops, cloning and production of antibiotics. There are benefits and problems associated with biotechnology. To properly understand the processes involved in biotechnology, it is necessary to study genetics and cell division. Genes are instructions that control everything that happens inside a cell. Genes are different size stretches of DNA that code for the manufacture of proteins such as enzymes. Enzymes are behind all the life processes such as growth, repair and reproduction. Children grow and develop according to the genes they have inherited from their parents. Although we all die eventually, our genes live on in our offspring. Some important defenitions: Gene: A length of DNA that codes for the production of a particular enzyme or protein. Chromosome: A long single molecule of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). The largest human chromosome contains 4000 genes. Chromosomes exist in the nucleus of cells all the time, but are only visible during cell division. Genome: The full set of genes in a cell. The human genome consists of between 50,000 and 100,000 genes. Diploid: Diploid cells contain two versions of every gene. Haploid: Haploid cells contain one version of every gene. Alleles: different form of the same gene. Example B,b.

BY NASSIM MENKARA