B13 Reproduction Flashcards
What is sexual reproduction
Where male and female gametes join ( fuse ) together to create an offspring which is genetically different to either parent
What are the gametes for animals and plants
Animals: sperm (M) and egg cell (F)
Plants: pollen (M) and egg cell (F)
What is the process by which gametes are produced
Meiosis
What is asexual reproduction
There is only one parent and no fusion of gametes, no mixing of chromosomes and no genetic variation between parent and offspring. The offsprings are genetically identical to the parents ( clones ). Only mitosis is involved
How many chromosomes do gametes have and why
They only have one copy of each chromosome ( 23 chromosomes ) because when gamete fusion takes place, you get the right amount of chromosomes again ( 46 )
1 example of cells that divide by meiosis
Cells in the reproductive organs ( testes and ovaries ) divide by meiosis to form gametes
What happens when a cell divides to form gametes
Copies of genetic information are made
The cell divides twice to form 4 gametes, each with a single set of chromosomes
All gametes are genetically different from eachother
What happens to gametes at fertilisation
Gametes join at fertilisation to restore the normal number of chromosomes. The new cell divides by mitosis. The number of cells increases. As the embryo devlops the cells differentiate
Advantages of sexual reproduction ( SKIP NOT NEEDED )
Offsprings have a mixture of 2 sets of chromosomes which provides variation
Variation increases chance species of surviving a change in environment as some variations have traits that allow them to survive ( others will die through natural selection )
These variations will breed and allow the species to adapt and evolve in the new environment
We can use selective breeding to create better variations of animals and speed up natural selection
Advantages of asexual reproduction ( SKIP NOT NEEDED )
There only needs to be one parent
Asexual reproduction uses less energy because organisms don’t have to find a mate
Asexual reproduction is faster than sexual
Many identical offspring can be produced in favourable conditions
How do malarial parasites have the best of both worlds ( SKIP NOT NEEDED )
Malarial parasites reproduce asexually in the human host but sexually in the mosquito
How do fungi have the best of both worlds ( SKIP NOT NEEDED )
Many fungi reproduce asexually by spores but also reproduce sexually to give variation
How do plants have the best of both worlds ( SKIP NOT NEEDED )
Many plants produce seeds sexually, but also reproduce asexually by runners such as strawberry plants, or bulb division such as daffodils
What is DNA and what is it’s structure
The genetic material in the nucleus of a cell is composed of a chemical called DNA. DNA is a polymer made up of two strands forming a double helix. The DNA is contained in structures called chromosomes.
The DNA polymer is made up of repeating nucleotide units
What is a gene
A gene is a small section of DNA on a chromosome. Each gene codes for a particular sequence of amino acids, to make a specific protein.
What is a genome and what is the significance of the human genome
The genome of an organism is the entire genetic material of that organism. The whole human genome has now been studied and this will have great importance for medicine in the future.