Corn Breeding: Types of Cultivars Glossary
- allele
one of two or more alternative forms of the same gene
- diploid
an organism with two copies of each gene
- double-cross hybrid
the type of hybrid that is produced when two different single-cross hybrids are cross-pollinated
- gene
a unit of molecular information that controls cellular development and/or activity and is passed (inherited) from parent to offspring.
- haploid
an organism with a single copy of each gene
- heterozygous
the descriptive term for a single-locus genotype of a diploid in which the two alleles are different
- homozygous
the descriptive term for a single-locus genotype of a diploid in which the two alleles are the same
- hybrid vigor
the phenomenon of a hybrid plant having greater vigor than its parents
- inbred
a pure-breeding strain of corn
- locus
the specific site of a gene on a chromosome
- population
a group of plants that are mating with each other and as a consequence have certain common characteristics
- single-cross hybrid
the type of hybrid that is produced when two different inbreds are cross-pollinated