Fertilisation

Question 1

Define fertilisation and state what happens.

Answer 1

• Fertilisation is defined as the union of two gametes.
• During fertilisation, sperm and egg cells fuse to form a diploid zygote to initiate prenatal development.
• The zygote develops to form an embryo.

Question 2

Explain how fertilisation in sexual reproduction creates variation

Answer 2

• Fertilisation lead to new, diploid offspring. Sexual reproduction results in genetic variation, or genetic differences, between parents and offspring.
• Offspring inherit one set of chromosomes from each parents.
• SO, an offspring has a mixture of chromosomes (and allels) from its two parents.