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Deletion.
A loss of part of the DNA from a chromosome; can lead to a disease or abnormality.
Phenotype
The physical characteristics of an organism or the presence of a disease that may or may not be genetic.
Pedigree
A family tree diagram that shows how a particular genetic trait or disease has been inherited.
Gene
The fundamental physical and functional unit of heredity. A gene is an ordered sequence of nucleotides located in a particular position on a particular chromosome that encodes a specific functional product
Birth defect
Any harmful trait, physical or biochemical, present at birth, whether a result of a genetic mutation or some other nongenetic factor.
Haploid
A single set of chromosomes (half the full set of genetic material) present in the egg and sperm cells of animals and in the egg and pollen cells of plants
Identical twin
Twins produced by the division of a single zygote; both have identical genotypes.
Embryonic stem (ES) cells
An embryonic cell that can replicate indefinitely, transform into other types of cells, and serve as a continuous source of new cells.
Acquired genetic mutation
A change in the genetic structure that is neither inherited nor passed to offspring. Also called acquired mutations.
Mitosis
The process of nuclear division in cells that produces daughter cells that are genetically identical to each other and to the parent cell.
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