REPRODUCTION Flashcards
What is asexual reproduction?
Involves one parent.
The cells divide by mitosis.
No mixing of genetic information.
No variation in the offspring.
What is similar between the offspring and parents after asexual reproduction?
Asexual reproduction gives rise to genetically identical offspring known as clones. Their genetic material is identical to both the parent and each other.
Give examples of organisms that reproduce asexually?
Fungi Bacteria Daffodils Strawberries Brambles.
What is sexual reproduction?
Involve a male and female sex cell from two parents. The sex cells (gametes) fuse together to form a zygote, which goes on to develop into a new individual.
How are gametes formed?
Meiosis.
Why is there variation among sexually produced offspring?
They inherit genetic information from both parents.
What are the gametes in plants?
The egg cells and pollen.
What are the gametes in animals?
The egg cells (ova) and sperm.
What is meiosis?
Cell division that takes place in the reproductive organs of animals and plants. In humans, these organs are the ovaries and testes. Meiosis results in sex cells, called gametes, which have only half the original number of chromosomes.
What happens when a cell divides to form gametes?
The genetic information is copied so there are four sets of each chromosome instead of the normal two sets. Each chromosome forms a pair of chromatids. This is very similar to mitosis.
The cell then divides twice in quick succession to form four gametes, each with a single set of chromosomes.
How is variation introduced to the gametes?
Each gametes produced is genetically different from all the others. Gametes contain random mixtures of the original chromosomes. This introduces variation.
How many chromosomes does a sex cell have?
23
How many chromosomes does a human body cell have?
46 (23 pairs)
What happens as an embryo develops?
Cells differentiate to form different tissues, organs, and organ systems.
What happens during asexual reproduction?
The offspring are produced as a result of mitosis from the parent cell. They contain exactly the same chromosomes and the same genes as their parents. There is no variation in genetic material.
How does sexual reproduction introduce variation?
The gametes are produced by meiosis in the sex organs of the parents. This introduces variation as each gamete is different. Then, when the gametes fuse, one of each pair of chromosomes, and so one of each pair of genes, comes from each parent, adding more variation.
The combination of genes in the new pair of chromosomes will contain different forms of the same alleles from each parent. This also helps to produce variation in the characteristics of the offspring.
What are some advantages of asexual reproduction?
Only one parent is needed. This is time and energy efficient as there is no need to find a mate or spread gametes. Often faster than sexual reproduction, rapidly producing large numbers of identical offspring.
Can be sped up by humans to produce large numbers of clones, for example to increase food production.
What are some disadvantages of asexual reproduction?
If the environment changes, then asexual reproduction is a disadvantage. If one organism cannot survive, then none can.
What is an advantage of sexual reproduction?
Provides variation in the offspring. If the environment changes, this variation gives a survival advantage as some offspring will be able to survive and reproduce. This is natural selection.
How does fungi reproduce asexually?
The fungal spores are produced by mitosis and they are genetically identical to the parent.
Made of thin threads called hyphae that together form the structures we can see.
How does fungi reproduce sexually?
Two hyphae from different fungi join and the nuclei fuse so the new hypha has two sets of chromosomes. It undergoes meiosis to make haploid spores, each with only one set of chromosomes which are different from the original hyphae. Some of the spores may produce fungi better adapted to survive the adverse conditions.
How do plants reproduce sexually?
The flowers contain the organs of sexual reproduction. The gametes - the pollen and the egg cells - are produced using meiosis. The pollen from one flower must reach the female parts of another flower in the process of pollination. Once the pollen has fused with the egg cell, seeds are formed. Sexual reproduction introduces variation and enables plants to survive as conditions change through natural selection.