Chapter 2 - Biological Beginnings

Question 1

Chromosomes

Answer 1

Threadlike structures that come in 23 pairs, with one member of each pair coming from each parent. Chromosomes contain the genetic substance DNA.

Question 2

DNA

Answer 2

A complex molecule that contains genetic information.

Question 3

Genes

Answer 3

Units of hereditary information composed of DNA. Genes help cells to reproduce themselves and manufacture the proteins that maintain life.

Question 4

Mitosis

Answer 4

Cellular reproduction in which the cell’s nucleus duplicates itself with two new cells being formed, each containing the same DNA as the parent cell, arranged in the same 23 pairs of chromosomes.

Question 5

Meiosis

Answer 5

A specialized form of cell division that forms eggs and sperm (aka gametes).

Question 6

Fertilization

Answer 6

A stage in reproduction during which an egg and a sperm fuse to create a single cell, called a zygote.

Question 7

Zygote

Answer 7

A single cell formed through fertilization.

Question 8

Evolutionary psychology

Answer 8

Branch of psychology that emphasizes the importance of adaptation, reproduction, and “survival of the fittest” in shaping behavior.