2. Heredity  The study of the passing on of traits from parents to kids.  Learn how and why physical and behavioral characteristics are passed on to from parents to offspring.

3. Trait  A person’s behavioral and physical characteristics.  Example: brown hair, blue eyes, etc.  Can also be behavioral such as personality.

4. Gene  A specific trait.  Example: hair color is a trait whereas a gene is the specific color such as brown.  Trait = Hair Color / Gene = Brown, Blonde, Red  Trait = Height / Gene = Tall or Short  Trait = Personality / Gene = Outgoing, Quiet

5. Offspring  A child in relation to its parents.

6. Phenotype  A person’s physical characteristics.  Example: Tall or short, Blonde or brunette, etc. Gg =

7. Genotype  An organisms genetic code represented by letters.  Example: AA, Aa or aa Gg GG

8. Allele  The different forms of a trait that a gene might have.  Example: GG or Gg

9. Dominant  A trait that covers up another trait.  Example: An uppercase “A”.

10. Recessive  A trait that gets covered up by an dominant trait.  Example: An lower case “a”.

11. Homozygous  Having two identical alleles for a trait.  Example: AA or aa

12. Heterozygous  Having two different alleles for a trait.  Example: Aa

13. Purebred  Both alleles are the same. The same genetic code is passed on by both parents.  Example: AA

14. Hybrid  The two alleles for a trait are different. The genetic code that is passed on by each parent is different.  Example: Aa

15. Chromosome  A threadlike strand that contains DNA and is found in the nucleus 0f each cell. Humans have 23 unique chromosomes.  Example:

16. DNA  Found in the chromosomes and transmits genetic information.  Example: