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GCSE Biology (B1) > Variation, Reproduction, and New Technology > Flashcards

Variation, Reproduction, and New Technology Flashcards

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1
Q

What are chromosomes?

A

Thread-like structures that carry genetic information

They are found in the nucleus of a cell

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2
Q

What are genes?

A

Short sections of DNA carrying genetic information

Chromosomes are made up of lots of genes

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3
Q

What are gametes?

A

Sex cells with only half the genetic material/chromosomes of a normal cell

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4
Q

How is genetic information passed on?

A

From parents to offspring through reproduction.

The offspring contain two sets of genes, inherited from both parents

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5
Q

What do genes control?

A

The development of different characteristics of offspring

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6
Q

How are chromosomes found in most body cells?

A

In pairs.

One set from the mother, one from the father

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7
Q

What is asexual reproduction?

A

Reproduction that involves only one individual with no fusing of gametes to produce offspring

The offspring are identical to the parent. These are known as clones

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8
Q

What are clones?

A

Offspring produced by asexual reproduction which are identical to the parent

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9
Q

What is sexual reproduction?

A

Reproduction involving the fusion of male + female gametes

This produces genetic variety in the offspring

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10
Q

Offspring produced by sexual reproduction can be similar but not identical to parents. Why?

A

Because they have a combination of two sets of genes

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11
Q

What causes the variation in sexual reproduction?

A

The random mixing of genes

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12
Q

Why is variation important to survival?

A

Because some genes may give offspring a better change of survival

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13
Q

What causes differences in the characteristics of individuals of the same species?

A
  • Genes they have inherited
  • The conditions in which they have developed (environment)
  • A combination of both
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14
Q

What is the most important factor in determining the appearance of an individual?

A

Genes

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15
Q

What might affect the characteristics/development of a plant?

A
  • Lack of light
  • Lack of nutrients
  • Lack of space to grow
  • Genes

Weaker plants may have the same genes as healthier ones but cannot grow well due to a lack of nutrients

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16
Q

What might affect the characteristics/development of a human?

A

May be affected during pregnancy:

  • If a mother drinks alcohol
  • If the mother smokes

These lead to a smaller birth weight

17
Q

What might affect the characteristics/development of an animal?

A
  • Too much/little food
  • Genes
  • Training muscles (to be an athlete vs. a predisposition towards being ripped)
18
Q

Why/where is cloning useful?

A

To produce new individuals that are useful in farming and agriculture

This could be more like ‘Never Let Me Go’ or just cloning tasty potatoes

19
Q

How can plants be clones?

A
  • Taking cuttings of a mature plant + growing them
  • Taking small groups of cells from a part of the plant and growing them under special conditions. This is called tissue culture
20
Q

What are the advantages/disadvantages of the different methods of cloning plants?

A
  • Taking cuttings is cheap, easy, and quick
  • It’s not as reliable
  • Tissue culture can produce large numbers of rare/top quality plant
  • However, it is more expensive
21
Q

How are animals cloned?

A
  • Through embryo transplants
  • An embryo of unspecialised cells is split into smaller groups of cells
  • Each group of geneticall identical cells is transplanted + allowed to develop in the host animal
22
Q

What might happen to a plant/animal before it is cloned?

A

It might be genetically modified to produce useful substances

23
Q

What is taking a cutting an artificial form of?

A

Asexual reproduction

24
Q

What is adult cell cloning?

A

The process in which the adult cell from an animal is fused with an empty egg of another

The embryo created is then placed in the uterus of a third animal.

25
Q

Describe the process of adult cell cloning

A
  • The nucleus is removed from an unfertilised egg cell
  • The nucleus of an adult cell (of the animal that will be cloned) is placed inside the ‘empty’ egg cell
  • The new cell is given a mild electric shock, causing it to begin to divide.
  • The ball of cells formed is called an embryo, and is genetically identical to the adult cell it originated from
  • Once the embryo has developed, it is implanted into the uterus of a host animal
26
Q

Give an example of an animal produced by adult cell cloning

A

Dolly the sheep in 1997

27
Q

What are the advantages of adult cell cloning?

A
  • Can save animals from extinction
  • Has led to the development of genetically engineered animals that produce valuble proteins in their milk
  • These can be used in medicine
28
Q

What are the disadvantages of adult cell cloning?

A
  • Ethical concerns
  • Limits variation of population/gene pool. This can become a problem for natural selection/genetic diseases/breeding
  • Concerns about using the technique on humans in the future
29
Q

What is genetic engineering?

A

Changing the genetic information/make-up of a cell/organism

30
Q

How is genetic engineering carried out?

A
  • Genes can be transfered to the cells of plants, animals, or microorganisms during the early stages of their development
  • A gene is ‘cut out’ of a chromosome using an enzyme. It is then placed in the chromosome of another organism.
  • The genes may be placed in an organism of the same species to give the ‘desired’ characteristic
  • Or, they may be placed into a different species, e.g. a bacterium.
  • The gene used to produce insulin in humans can be implanted into bacteria so that they generate large quantities of it to treat people with diabetes.
31
Q

Why is it more difficult to successfully clone animals than plants?

A
  • Animal embryo cells must be split into groups of cells before each group can be transfered to the host mother
  • There have to be enough hosts and some embryos may die during development
  • It also takes longer for animals to develop.
32
Q

What are crops with changed/altered genes called?

A

Genetically modified

33
Q

What are the advantages of genetic engineering and cloning?

A
  • Cloning can produce herds of cattle with useful characteristics
  • Adult cell cloning may be used to make copies of the best animal (e.g. horses)
  • Genetic engineering can be used to prevent/cure genetic disorders
  • Medical drugs can be produced by genetic engineering e.g. insulin + antibodies
  • GM crops can be resistant to herbicides or pesticides
  • Gm crops have a higher yield
34
Q

What are the disadvantages of genetic engineering and cloning?

A
  • GM crops need to be purchased every year because they are infertile
  • There are concerns about cross-pollination with wild flower populations
  • Insects which are not pests may be affected by the pesticides used on GM crops
  • Concerns about the effects of eating GM crops on human health
  • Ethical concerns
  • Long-term effects unknown
  • Will we create new organisms we know nothing about?

GCSE Biology (B1) (7 decks)

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