Topic 3 - Genetics Flashcards
What does sexual reproduction produce?
Genetically different cells
What is sexual reproduction?
Where genetic information from two organisms is combined to produce offspring which are genetically different
What happpens in fertilisation?
A male gamete fuses with a female gamete and forms a zygote
What happens to the zygote?
It undergoes cell division and develops into an embryo
Why does the embyro inherit characteristics from both parents?
It has recieved a mixture of chromosomes froom mum and dad
How is meiosis different to mitosis?
Meisosis only happens in the reproductive organs and doesn’t produce identical cells
What does meiosis produce?
Non-identical cells
What happens in the first division of meiosis?
DNA is duplicated
The chromosomes line up and the pairs are pulled apart and put into the new cells
What type of cell division does the zygote undergo?
Mitosis
What happens in the second division of meiosis?
The chromosomes line up again and the chromatids are pulled apart
You get four haploid daughter cells that are genetically different
What are the arms of the chromosomes called?
Chromatids
Why is it important genes are mixed up?
To introduce genetic variation
The haploid gamete of a plant species has 12 chromosomes
Two of these gametes fuse to make a zygote
How many chromosomes will there be in the zygote?
24
How does meiosis introduce genetic variation?
The products of meiosis are all genetically different, as some of the mothers chromosomes and some of the fathers go into different cells
How do asexual organisms reproduce?
Mitosis
How do sexual organisms reproduce?
Meisois and the production of genetically different haploid gametes which fuse to form a diploid cell
What are the advantages of asexual reproduction
Lots of offspring can be made quickly
Only one parent is needed
Whats the advantage of lot of offspring being made quickly?
An area can be colonised very rapidly
Whats the advantage of only needing one parent?
The organisms can produce when conditions are favourable
Whats the disadvantages of asexual reproduction
No genetic variation
Whats the disadvantages of having no genetic variation?
If there is an environment change, the whole population may be affected
Strawberry plants produce asexually
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this form of reproduction
There will be no genetic variation therefore if there is an environment change the whole population may be affected
However, there will be lots of offspring that can be made extremely quickly reducing the chance of extinction and also allowed an area to be colonised extremely quickly
Only one parent is needed therefore the parent can reproduce when conditions are more favourable without having to mate
What does each nucleotide consist of?
A sugar
A phosphate group
One base
What do the sugar and phosphate groups form?
A ‘backbone’ to the DNA strands
What are the four different bases in DNA?
A, T, C, G
What can DNA be described as?
Two strands of Nucleotides, that consist of a Sugar and Phosphate group with one of the four different bases attached to the sugar, coiled to form a double helix
The strands are linked by a series of complementary base pairs joined together by weak hydrogen bonds
How are the strands linked in DNA?
By a series of complementary base pairs joined together by weak hydrogen bonds
What are the complementary base pairs?
A and T
C and G
What are the complementary base pairs joined together by?
Weak hydrogen bonds
What are chromosomes?
Long, coiled up molecules of DNA
What is a gene?
A section of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a particular protein
What is a genome?
All of an organism’s DNA
How do you extract DNA from fruit cells?
Mash strawberries and put them in a beaker with detergent and salt
FIlter the mixture to get the froth and big, insoluble bits of cell out
Add some ice-cold ethanol
What does the detergent do?
Break down the cell membranes to release the DNA