Sexual reproduction and meiosis

• What is sexual reproduction?

  It is the combination of genetic information from two parents to produce genetically different offspring.
• Why do offspring look different from their parents in sexual reproduction?

  Because they inherit a mixture of genes from both parents.
• What do parents contribute to their offspring during sexual reproduction?

  Half the number of chromosomes of their own cells through gametes.
• What happens to chromosomes during meiosis?

  They are halved and fused with a female gamete to produce a fertilised egg.
• What is produced when a male gamete joins with a female gamete?

  A fertilised egg, also known as a zygote.
• What process does the fertilised egg undergo to develop into an embryo?

  Cell division by mitosis.
• How does the embryo inherit genetic information from its parents?

  It receives a mixture of paternal and maternal genes.
• What is meiosis?

  A type of cell division that produces gametes and does not produce identical cells.
• Where does meiosis occur in humans?

  In the reproductive organs, specifically the ovaries and testicles.
• How does meiosis differ from mitosis?

  Meiosis produces gametes that are genetically different, while mitosis produces identical cells.
• What is the structure of chromosomes before the first division in meiosis?

  Each chromosome is X-shaped, with one arm being an exact copy of the other.
• What occurs during the first division of meiosis regarding chromosomes?

  Chromosomes pair up and line up in pairs in the center of the cell.