Genetics and ecosystems Study Guide

Study Guide for Genetics and Ecosystems

Genetics

Key Terms

• Genotype: The genetic constitution of an individual.
• Phenotype: The physical expression of the genotype.
• Dominant: An allele that expresses its trait even in the presence of a recessive allele.
• Recessive: An allele that only expresses its trait when homozygous.
• Codominant: Both alleles in a heterozygote are fully expressed.
• Homozygous: Having two identical alleles for a trait.
• Heterozygous: Having two different alleles for a trait.

Genetic Crosses

• Monohybrid Cross: A genetic cross focusing on a single trait.
• Dihybrid Cross: A genetic cross focusing on two traits simultaneously.
• Sex-Linkage: Inheritance patterns associated with genes located on sex chromosomes.
• Multiple Alleles: More than two alleles exist for a gene within a population.
• Epistasis: Interaction between genes where one gene masks the effect of another.

Population Genetics

• Hardy-Weinberg Principle: A model that describes how allele frequencies remain constant in a population under certain conditions.
• Chi-Squared Test: A statistical method to determine if observed data fits expected data.

Ecosystems

Key Concepts

• Population: A group of individuals of the same species in a given area.
• Community: Different populations living together in a defined area.
• Ecosystem: A community of living organisms and their physical environment interacting as a system.
• Niche: The role and position a species has in its environment.

Ecological Dynamics

• Abiotic Factors: Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment.
• Biotic Factors: Living components that affect the population size.
• Succession: The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Conservation

• Conservation Methods: Strategies to protect biodiversity and manage ecosystems sustainably.