Glossary of genetic terms Gene - A hereditary unit that encodes an RNA or protein product. Genotype - The genetic constitution of an organism. Haploid - Having a single complement of chromosomes as seen in bacteria.
Yeast have the remarkable ability to live as either haploids or diploids.
Diploid - Having two sets of chromosomes as seen in most eukaryotes. Alleles - Any of the forms of a given gene. He has the obesity gene. We all have that gene, unless we have a chromosomal deletion of this region. This refers to a standard genotype or phenotype that is used as a reference for genetic analyses.