Segregation
Segregation
Segregation (/sɛɡrɪˈɡeɪʃən/; from Latin segregatio, "a setting apart") is a term used in medicine and genetics to describe the separation of genetic material during the formation of sex cells (meiosis). It is a fundamental principle of genetic inheritance and is based on the Mendelian laws of inheritance.
Etymology
The term "segregation" comes from the Latin segregatio, which means "a setting apart". In the context of genetics, it refers to the separation of paired alleles during meiosis to ensure that each gamete receives only one allele from each pair.
Related Terms
- Allele: One of two or more versions of a gene that are found at the same place on a chromosome.
- Chromosome: A thread-like structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.
- Gamete: A mature haploid male or female germ cell that is able to unite with another of the opposite sex in sexual reproduction to form a zygote.
- Gene: A unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.
- Genetic inheritance: The process by which genetic information is passed on from parent to child.
- Meiosis: A type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, as in the production of gametes and plant spores.
- Mendelian inheritance: The pattern of inheritance that was first described by Gregor Mendel in 1865 and 1866.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Segregation
- Wikipedia's article - Segregation
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