topic 2 Flashcards
What is sexual reproduction?
● Involves the production of gametes by meiosis.
● A gamete from each parent fuses to form a zygote.
● Genetic information from each gamete is mixed so the
resulting zygote is unique
What are gametes?
sex cells
sperm and egg in animals
egg and pollen in flowering plants
advantages of sexual repoduction
variation
survival advantage through natural selection and variation
natural selection can be speed up by seletive breeding
what are advantages of asexual production
only one parent needed
more time and energy efficient
faster
many identical offspring - in favourable conditions
what is meiosis
halves the number of chromosomes in gametes
when fertilisation occurs this doubles
What happens during the first stage of
meiosis?
● Chromosome pairs line up along the cell equator.
● The pair of chromosomes are separated and move to
opposite poles of the cell
● Chromosome number is halved.
how is variation created in meiosis
(the side to which each
chromosome is pulled is random, creating variation).
What happens during the second stage of meiosis?
● Chromosomes line up along the cell equator.
● The chromatids are separated and move to opposite
poles of the cell.
● Four unique haploid gametes are produced.
Why is meiosis important for sexual
reproduction?
● It increases genetic variation.
● It ensures that the zygote formed at
fertilisation is diploid.complete chromosome
meiosis vs mitosis
non identical cells
variation
mixing of genetic material
identical cells
cloned offspring
no mixing of genetic material
gamete production
copies of genetic material are made 2N
cell divides twice to form 4 gametes
each with a single set of chromosomes
so are genetically different
disadvantsges of SR
Two parents are required. This makes reproduction
difficult in endangered populations or in species which
exhibit solitary lifestyles.
● More time and energy is required so fewer offspring
are produced.
Describe the circumstances in which
Malarial parasites reproduce sexually
and asexually
Sexual reproduction in the mosquito.
Asexual reproduction in the human host
Describe the circumstances in which
fungi reproduce sexually and asexually
Asexual reproduction by spores.
Sexual reproduction to give variation.
Describe the circumstances in which
plants reproduce sexually and asexually
Sexual reproduction to produce seeds.
Asexual reproduction by runners (e.g.
strawberry plants) or bulb division (e.g.
daffodils).
what is DNA
chemical found in the nucleus
polymer
2 stands forming a double helix
Define genome
The entire genetic material of an organism.
Why is understanding the human genome important?
● Searching for genes linked to different types of disease.
● Understanding and treating inherited disorders.
● Tracing human migration patterns from the past.
What is a chromosome?
coiled molecule of DNA that
carries genetic information in the form of genes.
what is a gene
small section of DNA
each gene codes for a sequence of amino acids
to make a specific protien
dna structure
polymer
4 nucleotides
each nucleotide has a common sugar and phosphate group
What are the monomers of DNA?
Nucleotides
What are DNA nucleotides made up of?
● Common sugar
● Phosphate group
● One of four bases: A, T, C or G
what is a sequence of 3 bases called
amino acid
order of the bases calles
particular protien
Describe how nucleotides interact to form a molecule
of DNA
● Sugar and phosphate molecules join to form a
sugar-phosphate backbone in each DNA strand.
● Base connected to each sugar.
● Complementary base pairs (A pairs with T, C pairs with G)
joined by weak hydrogen bonds
Explain how a gene codes for a protein
● A sequence of three bases in a gene forms a triplet.
● Each triplet codes for an amino acid.
● The order of amino acids determines the structure
(i.e. how it will fold) and function of protein formed.
Why is the ‘folding’ of amino acids important in proteins such as enzymes?
determines the shape of the active site
what happens if the DNA base structure changes
the protien created will be different
describe protien synthesis
ribosomes made by a template
carrier molecules bring specific amino acids
to add to a protein chain
in the correct order
when its complete the chain folds up to produce a specific active sites
which allows them to be hormones enzymes or structures
what are mutations
happen continuously
most do not alter the protien
only alter it slightly in appearance
but few mutations code for a different protein
so will have a different shape and wont fit the substrate
so wont work
what is gene expression
non-coding parts of DNA can switch genes on and off
so variations in these
affect how genes could be expressed
What are alleles?
Different versions of the same gene.
What is a dominant allele?
A version of a gne where only one copy
is needed for it to be expressed.