Topic 6a- Reproduction

Question 1

What are the male and female gametes?

Answer 1

egg and sperm cells

Question 2

How many chromosomes are in a gamete?

Answer 2

23

Question 3

What is the fusion of gametes known as?

Answer 3

Fertilisation

Question 4

What offspring are produced by sexual reproduction?

Answer 4

The offspring inherits a mixture of chromosomes from its mum and dad resulting in genetic varitation in the offspring

Question 5

What are the gametes in a plant (one that reproduces sexually)?

Answer 5

Pollen and egg cells

Question 6

Through what process does the fertilised egg divide?

Answer 6

mitosis

Question 7

What advantages does sexual reproduction have over asexual reproduction?

Answer 7

• Offspring from sexual reproduction inherit genes (and therefore features) from both parents, meaning that there is genetic variation in offspring
• Genetic variation increases the chance of a species survinving a change in environment as some of them may have a survival advantage over the others

Question 8

What advantages does asexual reproduction have over sexual reproduction?

Answer 8

• only requires one parent → requires less energy as organisms don’t have to find a mate
• therefore, asexual reproduction is faster than sexual reproduction
• many identical offspring can be produced

Question 9

Give examples of organisms that can reproduce both sexually and asexually

Answer 9

• malarial parasites
• many fungi
• strawberry plants
• daffodils

Question 10

How does the malarial parasite reproduce sexually and asexually?

Answer 10

• the parasite reproduces sexually in the mosquito
• the parasite reproduces asexually in the human host

Question 11

How do fungi reproduce sexually and asexually

Answer 11

Spores are produced both sexually and asexually- though spores tend to be produced sexually in response to a change in the environment to increase the variation of the fungi and increase chances of species survival.

Question 12

How do strawberry plants reproduce sexually and asexually?

Answer 12

Sexually:

• the seeds of many plants are produced through sexual reproduction

Asexually:

• strawberry plants produce ‘runners’ (stems that grow horizontally) on the surface of the soil away from a plant
• at various points along the runner a new strawberry plant forms that is identical to the origincal strawberry plant

Question 13

How do daffodils reproduce asexually?

Answer 13

New bulbs can form from the main bulb and divide off. Each new bulb can grow off into an identical plant.