| A | B |
| genetics | The study of how heredity works |
| heredity | The passing of inherited traits from parents to offspring |
| genes | The units of heredity that carry information in the form of chemicals. These are the instructions for an inherited trait. |
| alleles | Different forms of the same gene |
| trait | A characteristic that is passed from parent to offspring |
| pure | A gene that contains two dominant alleles or two recessive alleles |
| hybrid | A gene that contains a dominant and recessive allele |
| dominant trait | A trait that is powerful and has control over a recessive trait; opposite of recessive |
| recessive trait | A trait that is apparent only when two recessive alleles for the same characteristic are inherited; opposite of dominant |
| genotype | The entire genetic makeup of an organism; also the combination of genes for one or more specific traits |
| probability | The likelihood that a possible future event will occur in any given instance of the event |
| phenotype | An organism’s appearance or other detectable characteristic |
| inherited | A trait that is passed from parents to offspring; it cannot be learned |
| learned | A trait that is learned from exposure to environment; opposite of inherited |