B6 Flashcards
What is the difference between asexual and sexual reproduction?
sexual reproduction - the mixing of genetic information which leads to variety in offspring. (two parents)
Asexual reproduction - involves only 1 parent and no fusion of gametes
What are the male and female gametes in humans?
sperm and egg cells
What are the male and female gametes in flowering plants?
pollen and egg cells
What does mitosis produce?
Two genetically identical daughter cells
True or false: Asexual reproduction involves meiosis?
false: asexual reproduction only involves mitosis
Why do cells in reproductive organs divide by meiosis?
to form gametes
Give an outline of what happens during meiosis
Meiosis halves the number of chromosomes in gametes and fertilisation restores the full number of chromosomes
- copies of genetic information are made
- the cell divides twice to form four gametes, each with a single set of chromosomes
- all gametes are genetically different from each other.
What do gametes do to restore the number of chromosomes?
they join at fertilisation and the new cell divides by mitosis
What is DNA?
a polymer made up of two strands of nucleotides which form a double helix structure
What is a gene?
a gene is a small section of DNA on a chromosome and each gene codes for a particular sequence of amino acids (make a specific protein)
What is the genome?
The entire genetic material of that organism
Why is understanding the human genome important?
- to search for genes linked to different types of disease
- understanding and treatment of inherited disorders
- understanding and tracing human migration patterns from the past
What is DNA? (structure)
a polymer made from four different nucleotides
• each nucleotide consists of a common sugar and phosphate group with 1 of 4 bases attached to the sugar
What are the four bases? (and their complementary base pairings)
A and T
G and C
Where are protein synthesised?
on ribosomes (according to a template)