Reproduction

• Why is reproduction important for all species?


  It is essential for the continuation of species.
• What are the two ways reproduction can occur?

  • Sexual reproduction
  • Asexual reproduction
• What is sexual reproduction?


  It is the combination of genetic information from two organisms to produce genetically different offspring.
• What do the mother and father produce in sexual reproduction?

  They produce gametes (sex cells).
• How many chromosomes does each human gamete contain?


  23 chromosomes.
• Why do gametes have only one of each chromosome?


  Because they contain half the number of chromosomes in a normal cell.
• What happens during fertilisation in sexual reproduction?


  The egg cell and sperm cell fuse to form a cell with the full number of chromosomes.
• What is the result of fertilisation?


  A cell with the full number of chromosomes, half from each parent.
• Why do offspring inherit features from both parents?


  Because they receive a mixture of chromosomes from both the mother and father.
• What does the mixture of genetic information in sexual reproduction produce?


  Variation in the offspring.