Reproduction

Question 1

what is sexual reproduction?

Answer 1

where genetic information from 2 organisms (a father and mother) is combined to produce offspring which are genetically different to either parent

Question 2

what is a gamete?

Answer 2

a sex cell e.g. sperm or egg

Question 3

in a human cell how many chromosomes does each gamete contain?

Answer 3

-23 chromosomes
-this is half the number of chromosomes in a normal cell as instead of having two of each chromosome in pairs a gamete only has one

Question 4

why do offspring inherit features from both parents in sexual reproduction?

Answer 4

1)in sexual reproduction the father and mother produce gametes by meiosis
2)the egg (from the mother) and the sperm cell (from the father) then fuse together for fertilisation to form a cell with the full number of chromosomes (half from the father and half from the mother)
3)therefore the offspring receives a mixture of chromosomes from its mum and dad. This mixture of genetic information produces variation in the offspring

Question 5

do flowering plants reproduce sexually or asexually?

Answer 5

sexually-they have egg cells but their version on sperm is pollen

Question 6

what is asexual reproduction?

Answer 6

-when there is only one parent. There is no fusion of gametes, no mixing of chromosomes and no genetic variation between parent and offspring meaning they are genetically identical (clones)
-this happens by mitosis (when an ordinary cell makes a new cell by dividing into two)

Question 7

what are some examples of organisms that reproduce asexually?

Answer 7

bacteria, some plants and some animals