B13 Reproduction Flashcards
what are gametes?
a cell where the chromosomes are not paired
how are gametes made?
by a type of cell division called meiosis
what does sexual reproduction involve?
the fusion of male and female gametes (fertilisation)
this means there is mixing of genetic information
what does asexual reproduction involve?
there is only one parent so it does not involve gametes
the offspring are genetically identical clones
it only involves mitosis
how many chromosomes are there in gametes?
23 single chromosomes
where does meiosis take place?
reproductive organs
what are the stages of meiosis?
- all of the chromosomes are copied
- the cell now divides into two
- both of the cells now divide one more time forming the gametes
how many gametes does meiosis form?
4 gametes from the original cell
how may chromosomes does a cell have after fertilisation?
the normal number (23 pairs in humans)
what happens after the gametes have fused?
the cell divides by mitosis to form a ball of cells called an embryo
what are the advantages of sexual reproduction?
survival advantage by natural selection - offspring receive a mixture of genetic info. this produces variation which means some of the offspring may survive if the environment changes
what is the advantage of asexual reproduction?
only one parent is needed so it is more efficient in both time and energy. this means it is faster than sexual reproduction
what is the disadvantage to asexual reproduction?
it is very risky - all the offspring are genetically identical so could all die if the conditions are not favourable
how does the malaria parasite reproduce?
it reproduces asexually inside the human host
it uses sexual reproduction in the mosquito vector
how do fungi reproduce?
they reproduce asexually using spores
they can also reproduce sexually to produce variation in their offspring
how can flowering plants reproduce?
they can reproduce sexually to produce seeds
some can also reproduce asexually by sending out runners or by bulb division
why is DNA genetic material?
because DNA determines inherited features
what are DNA strands made from? (their structure)
they are a polymer
this means they are made by joining lots of smaller molecules together
what is the name of the structure of DNA?
the two strands wrap around each other in a double helix
what is a gene?
a small section of DNA on a chromosome
what does each gene encode for?
a specific sequence of amino acids to make a specific protein
what is the genome?
the entire genetic material for an organism
what are the advantages to investigating the whole of a genome?
it will help us to search for genes that are linked to diseases
it will help us to understand and treat inherited disorders
we can use the human genome to trace human migration patterns from the past
what molecules are DNA polymers made from?
nucleotides
what is the structure of a nucleotide?
a phosphate group is attached to a sugar molecule
the sugar molecule is then attached to a base
what changes and what does not change in DNA?
the phosphate group and the sugar molecule never change
there are four different bases (A, C, G and T)
what does it mean by the DNA strands are complementary?
the same bases pair on the opposite strands
which bases pair to each other?
A always links to T
G always links to C