variation and sexual reproduction Flashcards
what are the costs of sexual reproduction
Costs of sexual reproduction: males unable to produce offspring; only half of each parent’s genome passed onto offspring, disrupting successful parental genomes
Benefits outweigh costs due to an increase in what
Benefits outweigh costs due to an increase in genetic variation in the population
what does genetic variation provide
Genetic variation provides the raw material required for adaptation, giving sexually reproducing organisms a better chance of survival under changing selection pressures
what does the red queen hypothesis explain
The Red Queen hypothesis to explain the persistence of sexual reproduction
Co-evolutionary interactions between parasites and hosts may select for what
Co-evolutionary interactions between parasites and hosts may select for sexually reproducing hosts
Hosts better able to resist and tolerate parasitism have what
Hosts better able to resist and tolerate parasitism have greater fitness. Parasites
better able to feed, reproduce and find new
hosts have greater fitness.
If hosts reproduce sexually, what happens
If hosts reproduce sexually, the genetic variability in their offspring reduces the chances that all will be susceptible to infection by parasites
Asexual reproduction can be what
Asexual reproduction can be a successful reproductive strategy as whole genomes are passed on from parent to offspring
In asexual reproduction…?
In asexual reproduction, just one parent can produce daughter cells and establish a colony of virtually unlimited size over time.
Maintaining the genome of the parent is an advantage when
Maintaining the genome of the parent is an advantage particularly in very narrow, stable niches or when re colonising disturbed habitats
what are examples of asexual reproduction in eukaryotes
Vegetative cloning in plants and parthenogenesis in lower plants and animals that lack fertilisation are examples of asexual reproduction in eukaryotes
Offspring can be reproduced more often and in what
Offspring can be reproduced more often and in larger numbers with asexual reproduction
what is Parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis is reproduction from a female gamete without fertilisation.
where is parthenogenesis more common in
Parthenogenesis is more common in cooler climates, which are disadvantageous to parasites, or regions of low parasite density or diversity
what are asexually reproducing populations not able to do
Asexually reproducing populations are not able to adapt easily to changes in their environment, but mutations can occur that provide some degree of variation and enable some natural selection and evolution to occur
Organisms that reproduce principally by asexual reproduction also often have mechanisms for what
Organisms that reproduce principally by asexual reproduction also often have mechanisms for horizontal gene transfer between individuals to increase variation, for example the plasmids of bacteria and yeasts
what is the result of prokaryotes exchanging genetic material horizontally
Prokaryotes can exchange genetic material horizontally, resulting in faster evolutionary change than in organisms that only use vertical transfer.
what is meiosis
Meiosis is the division of the nucleus that results in the formation of haploid gametes from a diploid gametocyte