Being Well Born Part 20

BLASTOPHTHORIA (Gr. _blastos_, germ; _phtheiro_, destroy), deterioration of the germ as the result of direct pathogenic or other disturbing agents.

BLENDING INHERITANCE, inheritance in which the characters of the parents seem to blend in the offspring.

CACOGENIC (Gr. _kakos_, bad; _genesis_, origin), pertaining to genetically undesirable human strains.

CELL, the fundamental unit of structure in plants and animals.

CENTROSOME (Gr. _kentron_, center; _soma_, body), a small body which functions in indirect cell-division.

CHARACTER, any distinguis.h.i.+ng feature, trait or property of an organism.

CHEMOTROPISM (chemical and tropism), defined, p. 198.

CHROMATIN (Gr. _chroma_, color), deeply staining substance of the cell-nucleus.

CHROMOSOMES (Gr. _chroma_, color; _soma_, body), characteristic deeply staining bodies, typically constant in number and appearance in each species of animal or plant, which appear in the cell during indirect division.

CHROMOTROPISM (Gr. _chroma_, color; _trope_, turning), defined, p. 198.

CLEAVAGE, the division of the egg-cell into many cells.

CONGENITAL (L. _con_, together; _gigno_, bear), present at birth.

CONJUGATION (L. _con_, together; _jugum_, yolk), the union of germ-cells or unicellular individuals for reproduction.

CONSTRUCTIVE (or positive) EUGENICS, a system of securing a superior race through propagation of the fittest individuals.

CORTEX (L. _cortex_, bark), the outer or investing layer of the brain.

CYTOPLASM (Gr. _kytos_, cell; _pla.s.so_, form), the protoplasm of the cell outside of the nucleus.

DALTONISM, the commonest form of color-blindness in which the affected individual is unable to discriminate between red and green.

DENDRITES (Gr. _dendron_, tree), branching processes which spring from nerve-cells.

DETERMINER (L. _determinare_, to determine), the distinctive cause or unit in a germ-cell which determines the development of a particular character in the individual derived from that cell. The terms _gene_ and _factor_ are sometimes used as synonyms of determiner.

DIHYBRIDS (L. _di_, two; _hybrida_, mongrel), the offspring of parents differing in two characters.

DIPLOID (Gr. _diploos_, double; _eidos_, form), the dual or somatic number of chromosomes.

DOMINANT CHARACTER (L. _dominare_, to be a master), a character from one parent which manifests itself in offspring to the exclusion of a contrasted character from the other parent.

DROSOPHILA, a genus of fruit-flies of which there are several species.

DUPLEX (L. _duo_, two; _plico_, fold), the condition in which a character is represented by two determiners, one from each parent.

ELECTROTROPISM (Gr. _electron_, amber; _trope_, turning), defined, p. 198.

EMBRYO (Gr. _embryon_), the young organism in its earliest stages of development.

EMBRYOGENY (Gr. _embryon_; _genesis_, generation), the development of the embryo.

EUGENICS (Gr. _eugenes_, well-born), the science relating to improvement of the human race through good breeding.

FACTOR, the determiner of a particular hereditary character.

FEEBLE-MINDEDNESS, deficiency in mental development. For grades, see p.

244.

FERTILIZATION, union of the s.e.xual cells.

FETUS (L. _feuere_, to bring forth), the unborn young animal in its later (after the second month in man) stages of development.

FLAGELLUM (L. _flagellum_, little whip), a vibratile, thread-like organ of locomotion.

GAMETE (Gr. _gamos_, marriage), a mature germ-cell.

GENETICS (Gr. _genesis_, origin), the science which deals with heredity and the origin of individuals in general.

GENOTYPE (Gr. _genea_, race; _typto_, strike), the germinal const.i.tution of an organism.

GEOTROPISM (Gr. _ge_, earth; _trope_, turning), defined, p. 198.

GERM-CELL, a reproductive cell.

GERMINAL VARIATIONS, variations which owe their origin to some modification in the germ-cells.

GERM-PLASM, the material basis of inheritance.

GONAD (Gr. _gonos_, generation), a germ-gland.

HAPLOID (Gr. _haploos_, single; _eidos_, form), the single or reduced number of chromosomes as found, for instance, in the mature germ-cells.

HELIOTROPISM (Gr. _helios_, sun; _trope_, turning), defined, p. 198.

HEREDITY (L. _heres_, heir), resemblance of individuals to their progenitors based on community of origin.

HERITAGE (L. _heres_, heir), all that is inherited by an individual.

HETEROZYGOTE (Gr. _heteros_, other; _zygon_, yolk), an individual produced through the union of germ-cells which are unlike in one or more determiners. Adjective, _heterozygous_.

h.o.m.oZYGOTE (Gr. _h.o.m.os_, same; _zygon_, yolk), an individual produced through the union of germ-cells which are alike in determiners. Adjective, _h.o.m.ozygous_.

HYBRID (L. _hybrida_, mongrel), the offspring of parents which differ in one or more characters.

IDENTICAL TWINS, twins which show identical inborn characters, both having come presumably from the same ovum.

IDIOT (Gr. _idios_, peculiar, private), defined, p. 244.