SB3: genetics Flashcards
what is sexual reproduction?
-the joining of two sex cells, or gametes during fertilisation
what are the characteristics of
organisms produced by sexual reproduction?
organisms produced by sexual reproduction have two parents and are genetically similar to both but not identical to either
advantages of sexual reproduction
-produces variation in the offspring
-the species can adapt to new environments due to variation, which gives them a survival advantage
-a disease is less likely to affect all the individuals in a population
-humans can speed up natural selection through selective breeding
disadvantages of sexual reproduction
-time and energy are needed to find a mate
-it is not possible for an isolated individual
what is asexual reproduction?
only involves one parent so there is no joining of sex cells during fertilisation
what are the characteristics of organisms produced by asexual reproduction?
organisms produced by asexual reproduction are genetically identical to each other and their parent (clones)
advantages of asexual reproduction
-the population can increase rapidly when the conditions are favourable
-only one parent is needed
-more time and energy efficient as you don’t need a mate
-it is faster than sexual reproduction
disadvantages of asexual reproduction
-it does not lead to variation in a population
-the species may only be suited to one habitat
-disease may affect all the individuals in a population
how many chromosomes do gametes have?
23
how many chromosomes do humans have?
46 (23 pairs)
what are gametes?
sex cells
what are stem cells?
-stem cells are cells that can divide to produce many types of cel
-there are two kinds of stem cell; embryonic and adult stem cells
-only embryonic can develop into anything
what does mitosis create?
2 genetically identical diploid daughter cells
what does meiosis result in?
4 haploid daughter cells that are genetically different from one another
what does meiosis produce in animals and plants?
-sperm and egg cells in animals
-pollen and egg cells in plants
what are the stages of meiosis?
- the cell making gametes has a full set of chromosomes, they copy each other and stick together
- the cell splits into two. the new cells have half of the chromosomes (still a full set of DNA)
- each cell divide into 2 again and has 23 chromosomes
how many cell divisions occur in meiosis?
two
how many cell divisions occur in mitosis?
one
how many cells are produced in meiosis compared to mitosis?
meiosis - 4
mitosis - 2
where does mitosis occur?
stem cells
where does meiosis occur?
ovaries & testes
what is mitosis for?
growth and repair of cells
what is meiosis for?
production of gametes (sex cells)
does mitosis or meiosis create variation?
meiosis
what is DNA?
-the genetic material in the nucleus of a cell
-a polymer, made of nucleotides
what structure does DNA have?
-a double helix structure (formed when nucleotides join together, forming two strands)
-the double helix is held together by weak hydrogen bonding between complementary base pairs
-each base is connected to a deoxyribose sugar, the sugar is attached to a phosphate, these are the backbone of DNA