B6- Meiosis Flashcards
What process produces gametes?
Meiosis
Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half.
Where does meiosis occur in humans?
In the reproductive organs: ovaries in females and testes in males
Meiosis is essential for sexual reproduction.
What is the chromosome count in gametes produced by meiosis?
Half the normal number of chromosomes
This is crucial for maintaining the species’ chromosome number upon fertilization.
What happens to chromosomes before meiosis starts?
They duplicate, forming two-armed chromosomes
Each arm is an exact copy of the other.
What occurs during the first division of meiosis?
Chromosome pairs line up in the center and are pulled apart
Each new cell receives one copy of each chromosome.
What happens to the chromosomes during the second division of meiosis?
Chromosomes line up again and the arms are pulled apart
This results in four gametes, each with a single set of chromosomes.
How are gametes genetically different from each other?
Chromosomes are shuffled up during meiosis
Each gamete receives a random assortment of chromosomes.
What happens after two gametes fuse during fertilization?
The resulting cell divides by mitosis to make a copy of itself
This marks the beginning of embryonic development.
What process follows the initial mitosis after fertilization?
Mitosis repeats many times to produce new cells in the embryo
This leads to the formation of a multicellular organism.
What do the cells in an embryo do as it develops?
They start to differentiate into specialized cell types
Differentiation is essential for forming various tissues and organs.
Fill in the blank: The chromosome pairs are pulled apart so each new cell only has one copy of each _______.
chromosome
This is an essential step in the reduction of chromosome number during meiosis.
True or False: Each gamete contains the full set of chromosomes.
False
Gametes are haploid, containing half the number of chromosomes.
