Genetics is a field of study in Biology that explores how traits are inherited and expressed in living organisms, including humans, animals, and plants. Knowing key terminology can help us deepen our understanding of the topic.
Phenotype: Refers to the observable or physical traits of an organism. For example, if we are looking at a human who is tall and has black hair, we can say that the phenotype for that human is tall for the height gene and black for hair color.
Homozygous: When an individual has two identical copies of a gene for a particular trait. If homozygous, the genes inherited from the mother and father are exactly the same. For example, if T = tall and t= short, a homozygous individual would be either TT or tt for their height gene.
Heterozygous: When an individual has two different copies of a gene for a particular trait. If heterozygous, the genes inherited from the mother and father will be different. For example, if B = blue hair and b = brown hair, a heterozygous individual would have Bb for their hair color gene.