GeneticsGeneticsVocabularyVocabulary

TraitAn inherited characteristicAn inherited characteristic

Examples: hair color, eye Examples: hair color, eye color, tongue rollingcolor, tongue rolling

DNADeoxyribonucleic Acid Deoxyribonucleic Acid

(WOW)(WOW)Holds all our genetic Holds all our genetic

informationinformationFound in the nucleus of a Found in the nucleus of a

cellcell

Herbivore

Animals that eat only plantsAnimals that eat only plants

Examples: giraffes, horses, Examples: giraffes, horses, tortoisestortoises

CarnivoreLatin: carnivora (to Latin: carnivora (to

devour meat)devour meat)Animal that only eats Animal that only eats

other animals (meat)other animals (meat)Examples: lions, tigers, Examples: lions, tigers,

venus fly trapsvenus fly traps

OmnivoreOmnivore Latin: omnivora (to devour Latin: omnivora (to devour

everything)everything) nimal that eats other animals nimal that eats other animals

and plantsand plants Examples: bears & humansExamples: bears & humans

CharacteristicsCharacteristicsA distinguishing quality, A distinguishing quality,

feature, mark, or traitfeature, mark, or trait

GeneGenePart of DNA that has Part of DNA that has

instructions for making instructions for making specific traitsspecific traits

HereditaryHereditaryPassing of Passing of

traits/characteristics from traits/characteristics from one generation to the nextone generation to the next

InheritedInheritedCharacteristic and/or trait Characteristic and/or trait

received from a parent or received from a parent or parentsparents

““I inherited my blue eyes I inherited my blue eyes from mom and brown hair from mom and brown hair from dad.”from dad.”