Gametes and Fertilisation Flashcards

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What is a gamete?

A gamete is a sex cell used in sexual reproduction that carries half the normal number of chromosomes.

What are the male and female gametes in humans called?

The male gamete is the sperm cell and the female gamete is the egg cell, also called an ovum.

Where are sperm cells and egg cells made in the human body?

Sperm cells are made in the testes and egg cells are made in the ovaries.

How does the number of chromosomes in a human gamete compare to a body cell?

A human gamete has 23 chromosomes, which is half the 46 chromosomes found in a normal body cell.

What type of cell division makes gametes, and why is this important?

A special type of cell division called meiosis makes gametes. It is important because it halves the chromosome number so it can be restored at fertilisation.

Describe two adaptations of a sperm cell that help it reach and fertilise an egg.

A sperm cell has a long tail so it can swim to the egg, and many mitochondria to release energy for this movement.

Describe two adaptations of an egg cell that help it in reproduction.

An egg cell is large and contains a food store for the developing embryo, and its membrane hardens after fertilisation to stop other sperm entering.

What is fertilisation?

Fertilisation is when the nucleus of a sperm cell joins with the nucleus of an egg cell to form a new cell.

What is the cell formed at fertilisation called, and how many chromosomes does it have?

It is called a zygote. It has 46 chromosomes, a full set made from 23 from the sperm and 23 from the egg.

Where in the female reproductive system does fertilisation usually happen in humans?

In humans, fertilisation usually happens in the oviducts, also called the fallopian tubes.

How does fertilisation lead to genetic variation in offspring?

Each sperm and egg cell has a different mix of genes, and which sperm meets which egg is random, so each baby has a unique set of genes.