Inheritance, Variation + Evolution

• What is meiosis?

  Formation of four non-identical cells
• What is mitosis?

  Formation of two identical cells
• What does sexual reproduction involve?

  Joining of male and female gametes
• What are the gametes in animals?

  Sperm and egg cells
• What are the gametes in flowering plants?

  Pollen and egg cells
• How are gametes formed?

  By meiosis, as they are non-identical
• How many chromosomes does a normal cell have?

  46 chromosomes
• How many pairs of chromosomes are in a normal cell?

  23 pairs of chromosomes
• What happens to gametes during fertilization?

  They fuse to form a cell with 46 chromosomes
• What is the result of mixing genetic information from parents?

  Variation in the offspring
• What does asexual reproduction involve?

  One parent with no gametes joining
• How are cells formed in asexual reproduction?

  By mitosis, forming two identical cells
• What is the outcome of asexual reproduction?

  Clones that are genetically identical
• What is the process of meiosis?

  Formation of four non-identical gametes
• What happens to chromosomes during meiosis?

  They are shuffled, producing genetic variation
• What is the chromosome number in gametes?

  23 chromosomes
• What occurs after fertilization?

  The cell divides by mitosis to form many copies
• What is differentiation in embryonic development?

  Cells take on different roles
• What are the advantages of sexual reproduction?

  • Produces variation in offspring
  • Increases survival advantage in changing environments
  • Decreases extinction risk for the species
• What are the advantages of asexual reproduction?

  • Only one parent needed
  • Faster reproduction without finding a mate
  • Produces many identical offspring in favorable conditions
• How do some fungi reproduce?

  By releasing spores
• Why do some fungi produce spores sexually?

  To increase variation and avoid extinction
• How do strawberry plants reproduce asexually?

  By producing runners
• How do daffodils reproduce asexually?

  By growing from bulbs
• What is the structure of DNA?

  Two strands forming a double helix
• What are the four nitrogenous bases in DNA?

  A, C, G, T
• What is a gene?

  A section of DNA coding for a protein
• What is the genome?

  All genes coding for proteins in an organism
• What is the significance of studying the human genome?

  Improves understanding of diseases and treatments
• What does DNA stand for?

  Deoxyribonucleic acid
• What are nucleotides made of?

  Sugar, phosphate, and organic base
• What is complementary base pairing?

  A pairs with T, C pairs with G
• What does the order of bases in DNA determine?

  The type of proteins produced
• What is protein synthesis?

  Producing a protein from DNA
• What happens to DNA during protein synthesis?

  It cannot move out of the nucleus
• What is mRNA?

  A template of the original DNA
• How are amino acids brought to ribosomes?

  By carrier molecules
• What determines a protein's function?

  Its specific 3D shape
• What are enzymes?

  Biological catalysts that speed up reactions
• What can mutations in DNA cause?

  Changes in amino acid sequences