Reproduction (6.1) (M) Flashcards
What is meiosis?
Reduction division in a cell in which the chromosome number is halved
What is the main difference between meiosis and mitosis?
meiosis leads to non-identical cells being formed while mitosis leads to identical cells being formed
What is sexual reproduction?
the joining (fusion) of male and female gametes
so two parents
there is mixing of genetic information which leads to variety in the offspring
What are gametes?
sex cells
Describe sexual reproduction in animals
the joining (fusion) of sperm (male gamete) and egg (female gamete) cells
Describe sexual reproduction in flowering plants?
the joining (fusion) of pollen (male gamete) and egg (female gamete) cells
How does sexual reproduction lead to a variety in the offspring?
there is mixing of genetic information which leads to variety in the offspring
The formation of gametes involves which process?
meiosis
What is asexual reproduction?
Reproduction involving only one parent and no fusion of gametes
so there is no mixing of genetic information, which leads to genetically identical offspring (clones)
Is there mixing of genetic information in asexual reproduction? What does this lead to?
No
leads to genetically identical offspring (clones)
Which process is involved in asexual reproduction?
Only mitosis is involved
Cells in (…) organs divide by (…) to form (…)
reproductive
meiosis
gametes
Describe the process of meiosis (e.g. a cell dividing to form gametes)?
- copies of the genetic information are made
- the cell divides twice to form four gametes, each with a single set of chromosomes (haploid)
- all gametes are genetically different from each other
a diploid is a cell with two sets of chromosomes in pairs, one from each parent
What is fertilisation
(different) gametes joining to restore the normal number of chromosomes (by forming a zygote)
What is a zygote?
a fertilised egg cell
Fertilisation produces a new cell (zygote), by which process does this new cell divide by?
mitosis
After fertilisation and mitosis, what happens to the number of cells?
they increase
As the embryo develops cells (…)
differentiate
What is DNA?
A polymer made up of two strands forming a double helix
What does the chemical DNA make up?
The genetic material in the nucleus of a cell
Where is DNA contained?
in chromosomes
What is a gene?
a small section of DNA on a chromosome, that codes for a particular sequence of amino acids, to make a specific protein
How is a protein made?
Each gene codes for a particular sequence of amino acids, to make a specific protein
What is the genome of an organism?
the entire genetic material of that organism
Has the whole human genome now been studied? What does this mean?
Yes
this will have great importance for medicine in the future
3 needed
What are the important uses from the understanding of the human genome?
- search for genes linked to different types of disease
- understanding and treatment of inherited disorders
- use in tracing human migration patterns from the past
What are nucleotides?
molecules consisting of a common sugar and phosphate group with one of four different bases attached to the sugar
How many nucleotides is DNA made up of?
four different nucleotides
What are the four bases of DNA?
A, C, G and T
What forms the code for a particular amino acid?
A sequence of three bases
What does the order of the bases control?
the order in which amino acids are assembled to produce a particular protein
What do long strands of DNA consist of?
Alternating sugar and phosphate sections. Attached to each sugar is one of the four bases
What is a DNA polymer made up of?
repeating nucleotide units
What is protein synthesis?
The production of proteins from amino acids, which happens in the ribosomes of the cell.
In complementary strands, what do pairs of bases always form?
In the complementary strands a C is always linked to a G on the opposite strand and a T to an A