Unit 2: AoS2 Flashcards
Fission
A single unicellular parent organism divides into 2 approximately equal parts that become new individuals.
Budding
- An outgrowth or bud that forms from the parent and becomes a new individual
- Cytoplasm is unevenly split
EXAMPLES: yeast, hydra, sponges
Fragmentation
- Multicellular parent body breaks into 2 parts which each develop into a new individual.
- Works best in organisms with simple body systems or ones that are spread throughout the body
EXAMPLES: flatworms, echinoderms, marine worms
Spore formation
- Spores are formed by mitosis.
- Capable of germinating into a new organism.
- Coated in a tough outer layer to help them survive harsh conditions.
EXAMPLES: mould, moss, ferns
Vegetative propagation
New plants develop from the roots, stems or leaves of parent plant.
EXAMPLES: strawberry runners
Parthenogenesis
- The development of a female gamete without fertilisation.
- Only possible in female parent organisms.
- This is in organisms that can still produce sexually.
EXAMPLES:komodo dragons, geckos, hammerhead sharks
Advantages of asexual reproduction
- Efficient reproduction
- Uses less time and energy
- Can increase population size rapidly in optimal conditions
- No need to find sexual partner
- Offspring are well suited to environment as are genetically identical
Disadvantages of asexual reproduction
- Overcrowding and competition for resources if population growth is too rapid
- Susceptible to environmental change
Sexual reproduction
Fusing of 2 gametes- haploid cells with half the number of chromosomes to form a new individual that is genetically different to its parents
Advantages of sexual reproduction
- Each gamete is genetically unique with a different combination of alleles
- This allows population to adapt and survive changing environments
- Quality over quantity- can eliminate undesirable traits
Disadvantages of sexual reproduction
- Slower reproduction
- Recombination may break apart desirable alleles
- Requires mating partner
- Takes more time and energy
Cuttings and grafts
Cuttings
- taking a section of a mother plant and it will grow into a clone
Grafts
- part of a stem from one plant is transferred to the rootstock of another plant
Tissue culture
- Fragments or single cells are selected from a parent plant and grown in a nutrient and hormone rich culture medium.
- Grows into plantlets which are clones of the parent plant.
Embryo splitting
- Based on the natural embryo splitting that forms identical twins.
- IVF is used to harvest eggs then fertilise in a petri dish.
- Embryos are split in early stages of development and implanted into surrogates.
Somatic cell nuclear transfer
Nucleus is removed from an unfertilised egg and replaced with the nucleus from an adult somatic cell. The egg is then transplanted into a surrogate. The offspring will be identical to the donor of the somatic cell.
Issues with cloning
- Susceptibility to disease
- High failure rate
- Adverse health effects
- Premature ageing
- Cloned food products may contain allergens
Gene pool
All genes and alleles in an interbreeding population
Selective advantage
Advantages in a species in a specific area
Genetic flow
Migration leading to new genes and alleles in a gene pool
Founder effect
Organisms arriving in a place they weren’t previously