Sexual Reproduction and Variation Flashcards

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What is sexual reproduction?

Sexual reproduction is when male and female sex cells join to make a new organism.

What is a gamete? Give one example in animals.

A gamete is a sex cell used in reproduction, for example a sperm cell or an egg cell.

What are the male and female gametes in flowering plants?

In flowering plants, male gametes are in pollen grains. Female gametes are egg cells inside ovules.

How does the chromosome number in gametes compare to body cells?

Gametes have half the number of chromosomes that body cells have. In humans, body cells have 46 and gametes have 23.

What is fertilisation?

Fertilisation is when a male and a female gamete join to form one new cell.

What is a zygote and what does it develop into?

A zygote is the cell made at fertilisation. It divides and grows into an embryo, then into a new organism.

Why are offspring from sexual reproduction genetically different from their parents?

Offspring from sexual reproduction get genes from two parents. This mix of genes makes each offspring genetically different.

What is meant by genetic variation?

Genetic variation means that living things of the same species are not exactly the same because their genes differ.

How does meiosis help cause variation in sexual reproduction?

Meiosis helps cause variation because it makes gametes with different mixes of chromosomes. So each gamete is slightly different.

What are the two main causes of variation between people?

Variation between people can be caused by their genes and by their environment, such as their diet or lifestyle.

Give one human characteristic mainly controlled by genes and one mainly controlled by the environment.

Eye colour is a characteristic mainly controlled by genes. Scars from injuries are characteristics mainly caused by the environment.

How does variation in offspring differ between sexual and asexual reproduction?

Sexual reproduction produces offspring that show genetic variation. Asexual reproduction produces offspring that are usually genetically identical to the parent.