A Quick Glossary of Genetic Terms

allometry

A disproportionate relationship between size of a body part and size of the whole body.

anaphase

Phase of the cell division during which the paired chromosomes move apart.

antigens

Foreign bodies, usually protein molecules, which provoke the formation of antibodies.

autosome

A chromosome that is not one of the sex chromosomes.

codon

A triplet of units (nucleotides) in the genetic code, specifying the synthesis of a single unit (amino acid) in a protein chain.

genome

The entire collection of genes possessed by one organism.