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Deana Namuth-Covert
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Chromosomes are the form by which genetic information is passed from old cells to new cells, one generation to the next, resulting in the successful and reliable inheritance of traits. Every cell in an organism contains two copies of every chromosome present in that organism. For example, humans have 46 chromosomes in their body, 23 were inherited from the father and 23 from the mother. Gametes, the reproductive cells of an organism, (egg or sperm), have only one set of chromosomes. When the two gametes unite, they form a living embryo with two sets of genetic information. Therefore, we actually have two copies of the genetic information for each trait. Sometimes one copy controls trait expression, and other times both copies influence a trait. As a result, the offspring will have characteristics of both the mother and the father. |
This project was supported in part by the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants CAP project 2011-68002-30029 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, adminstered by the University of California-Davis and by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education, National SMETE Digital Library Program, Award #0938034, administered by the University of Nebraska. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USDA or NSF.
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