: . DICTIONARY . :

Albino:
Having absent or deficient melanin. Widely used term for "Amelanistic".

Allele:
Either of the two paired genes which affect an inheritable trait.

Amelanistic:
Total lack of melanin.

Anerythristic:
Total lack of red color.

Axanthic:
Total lack of yellow color.

Co-dominant:
A gene that causes the homozygous form to look different than the wild-type and the heterozygous form to have traits of both.

Chromosome:
Each cell in every living thing has a nucleus. Much of the nucleus is made up of a constant number of paired chromosomes. Each chromosome is a single, long strand of DNA in a protein matrix. The strand of DNA contains many genes.

Designer morphs:
 

DH:
See Double heterozygous.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid):
Molecules bearing genetic information of all the organisms cells.

Dominant:
A gene that causes an animal to look different than the wild-type and where the homozygous form and the heterozygous form look the same as each other.

Double heterozygous:
An animal being heterozygous for two different traits. Also refered to as DH.
Also see Triple Heterozygous.

Gene:
Unit of heredity that determines the characteristics of the organism.

Genotype:
An organisms genetic composition. Heredity - the transmission of genetic characters from parents to offspring.
Also see Phenotype.

Het:
Short for heterozygous.

Heterozygous:
Possessing two different genes for a given trait. An animal with one mutated, recessive gene still appears normal; its mutated gene can be inherited by future offspring. A co-dominant animal is heterozygous for the dominant form of its mutated gene, but still its different in appearance than both the wild-type and homozygous forms.

Homozygous:
A state in which both genes for a specific trait are the same. When a recessive gene is it its homozygous form, it makes the animal look different from the wild-type. When a dominant gene is in its homozygous state, it causes the animal to look different from both the wild-type and the heterozygous (co-dominant) forms.

Hypomelanistic:
Lack of black and/or brown color than a wild-type. Also refered to as "hypo".

Leucistic:
A cpmpletely white animal with dark eyes.

Locus:
A genes position on a chromosome (plural: loci)

Melanin:
Black or brown pigmentasion.

Melanistic:
Abnormally dark, especially due to an increased amount of melanin.

Mutation:
An abnormal gene that under certain circumstances can cause an animal to be born with an appearance other than wild-type.

Normal:
An animal with no mutated genes - "wild type" in appearance. Also ee wild type.

Phenotype:
An animals external appearance, as caused by its genotype. See genotype.

Possible Het:
An animal from a known breeding that has either a 50% or 66% possibility of being "heterozygous" for a mutant gene.

66% possible het:
Comes from breeding 2 heterozygous animals together: 50% of the offspring are heterozygous, 25% will be homozygous, and 25% will be wild-type. Of the normal appearing animals, 66% will be heterozygous for the mutated gene.

50% possible het:
Comes from breeding a heterozygous animal to a wild-type animal. All of the resulting offspring will be wild-type in appearance, but 50% of them will actually be heterozygous for the mutated gene and must be bred out to determine which animals are really hets.

Punnett Square:
A learning tool for determining the possible outcomes of a given cross between individuals. Developed by R.C. Punnett, an early British geneticist.

Recessive:
A gene that affects an animals appearance if its present in the homozygous state. A heterozygous animal carrying a mutated, recessive gene looks normal. An example would be the common albino among others.

Simple morphs:
Opposite designer morphs. Simple morphs is what we, amongst others, choose to call the mutations found in nature.

Super:
A Commonly used Herpetocultural term for the Dominant form of a Co-dominant mutation.

Triple Heterozygous:
Heterozygous at three gene loci.

Tyrosinase:
An enzyme required for synthesizing melanin.
Tyrosinase negative = Also called T-. An albino whose cells lack tyrosinase, producing a white and yellow/orange animal with pink eyes. A separate albino mutation from tyrosinase-positive (T+).
Tyrosinase-positive = An albino not able to synthesize melanin, but capable of synthesizing tyrosinase, which results in lavender-brown skin color. Also referred to as T+.

Wild-type:
An aninals normal appearance in the wild (With normal color and pattern)

Xanthic:
Having more yellow color than wild-type.