Meiosis Flashcards
Define Meiosis
The process where a single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half the original amount of genetic information
Define Homologous Chromosomes
Chromosome pairs of approximately the same length, centromere position, and staining pattern, for genes with the same corresponding loci.
Define Sister Chromatids
Identical copies (chromatids) formed by the DNA replication of a chromosome, with both copies joined together by a common centromere
Define Fertilization
The process by which two gametes (reproductive cells having a single, haploid set of chromosomes) fuse to become a zygote, which develops into a new organism.
Define Asexual Reproduction
A mode of reproduction in which a new offspring is produced by a single parent
Define Sexual Reproduction
The production of new organisms by the combination of genetic information of two individuals of different sexes.
Define Gamete
A reproductive cell of an animal or plant
Define Somatic Cell
Any cell of a living organism other than the reproductive cells.
Define Haploid
A cell that contains a single set of chromosomes.
Define Diploid
The presence of two complete sets of chromosomes in an organism’s cells, with each parent contributing a chromosome to each pair.
Define Tetrad
A four-part structure that forms during prophase I of meiosis and consists of two homologous chromosomes, each composed of two identical chromatids.
Define Synapsis
The pairing of two chromosomes that occurs during meiosis
Define Crossing Over
The exchange of genes between homologous chromosomes, resulting in a mixture of parental characteristics in offspring.
Define Independent Assortment
how different genes independently separate from one another when reproductive cells develop.
