Inheritance & Evolution

• What are the uses of mitosis?

  Growth and repair
• What are the female gametes in humans?

  X chromosomes
• What are the male gametes in humans?

  Sperm cells
• Where are the female gametes found in plants?

  In the stigma
• Where are the male gametes found in plants?

  In the pollen
• How many divisions occur in meiosis?

  Two divisions
• What is asexual reproduction?

  Common in plants, bacteria, and fungi
• What is a disadvantage of asexual reproduction?

  Genetically identical population
• What is an advantage of sexual reproduction?

  Genetically diverse population
• What is a disadvantage of sexual reproduction?

  Requires finding a mate
• How does asexual reproduction conserve energy?

  Parent invests energy in its own genes
• What are the base pairing rules in DNA?

  A connects to T, C connects to G
• What is a gene?

  A stretch of DNA coding for traits
• What is a genome?

  All the genes in a body
• What does a three-letter DNA sequence code for?

  An amino acid
• What happens to the amino acid chain after coding?

  It folds into a protein
• What are proteins responsible for in the body?

  Hormones, enzymes, and cell walls
• What is the significance of the active site of an enzyme?

  It is specific to the substrate
• What can a mutation in an amino acid chain cause?

  A change in protein function
• What is non-coding DNA often referred to as?

  Junk DNA
• What is a gamete?

  A sex cell
• What are alleles?

  Different versions of genes
• What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?

  Genotype is genetic makeup; phenotype is traits
• What is a genetic cross used for?

  To predict inheritance of traits
• What is embryo screening?

  Testing embryos for genetic diseases
• What is a disadvantage of embryo screening?

  Embryos may be created and destroyed
• How many pairs of chromosomes do humans have?

  23 pairs
• What determines genetic sex in humans?

  X and Y chromosomes
• What is the difference between identical twins and fraternal twins?

  Identical twins share the same genotype
• What influences phenotype besides genotype?

  Environmental factors
• What can lead to mutations during DNA replication?

  Errors in copying DNA
• What is the theory of natural selection?

  Gradual change over time in species
• Who proposed the theory of evolution?

  Charles Darwin
• What is natural variation in a population?

  Differences among individuals in traits
• How do adaptations occur in species?

  Through natural selection of beneficial traits
• What evidence supports the theory of evolution?

  Fossils and rapid bacterial changes
• What happens when a species becomes geographically separated?

  Speciation can occur
• What did Darwin observe in the Galapagos Islands?

  Finches adapted to different food sources
• What is selective breeding?

  Choosing specific traits for reproduction
• What can cause animals to become geographically separated?

  Different islands or mountain ranges