Lesson 1: Heredity

Question 1

what does cell division allow for

Answer 1

allows for all organisms to grow, repair, and/or reproduce

Question 2

what is heredity

Answer 2

the process of traits being passed on from parents to offspring

Question 3

what is genetics

Answer 3

the study of heredity and variation

Question 4

what is the term “genetic material” used to describe?

Answer 4

used to describe all the material in an organism that stores genetic information

Question 5

what is genetic material stored as?

Answer 5

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

Question 6

what is each distinct sequence of genetic material called?

Answer 6

a gene

Question 7

define genes

Answer 7

can be defined as a portion of a DNA molecule that carries the information that helps to produce a particular trait of an organism

Question 8

what is a locus

Answer 8

each gene occupies a specific location on a chromosome called a locus

Question 9

a typical chromosome can carry how many different genes at different loci?

Answer 9

a typical chromosome can carry hundreds or thousands of different genes at different loci

Question 10

when we inherit traits from our parent, we are inheriting..

Answer 10

genetic material

Question 11

all cells have chromosomes, but how do they differ from each other?

Answer 11

do not have the same number, size, or shape of chromosomes

Question 12

what examples of different types of genes are there

Answer 12

genes for eye colour, protein pigments, skin colour, hair colour, for stopping and starting bone growth, for blood type, how many fingers or arms or legs you have, for proteins that influence how long you live, etc.

Question 13

approx around how many genes does our DNA contain? how does it differ from other types of organisms?

Answer 13

our DNA probably contains between 25 thousand and 40 thousand genes, while the DNA of a fruit fly or plant, for instance, may contain about 12 thousand to 20 thousand genes

Question 14

in multicellular organisms, chromosomes occur in sets. what are the types of sets and what are they called?

Answer 14

1 set= haploid cell
2 sets= diploid cell
3 or more sets= polyploidy cell (i.e triploid or tetraploid)

Question 15

asexual reproduction + how does it occur

Answer 15

form of reproduction in which a new individual is produced from a single parent by cell division; occurs via cell division or mitosis

Question 16

advantages for asexual reproduction

Answer 16

• Parent organisms do not have to seek out a mate
• Specialized mating behaviors are not required
• No specialized anatomy is required

Question 17

sexual reproduction

Answer 17

form of reproduction in which individuals are produced from the fusion of two sex cells; Sex cells usually come from two different parent organisms

Question 18

what is the exception to the “two different organisms” in sexual reproduction

Answer 18

flower structure where the same plant has both male and female

Question 19

disadvantages to sexual reproduction

Answer 19

• Specialized organs are required to produce the sex cells
• Specialized mating calls or bright colours to attract mates can also attract predators
• May require the loss of resources, like nectar in flowers
• The combining of genetic information may make the offspring weak and unable to survive

Question 20

advantages to sexual reproduction

Answer 20

• Individuals that rely on sexual reproduction can adapt to a changing environment, due to their genetic variability which is not possible in organisms that reproduce asexually
• This can support the long term survival of a species