Mitosis and Meiosis Overview

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to mitosis and meiosis, as outlined in the lecture notes.

Chromosome

A structure that carries the cell's hereditary information as genes encoded in DNA.

Sex Chromosome

Chromosome encoding an individual's sex, in sexually reproducing species.

Autosome

A non-sex chromosome.

Ploidy

The number of chromosome sets present in a cell.

Haploid

Having one of each type of chromosome (n).

Diploid

Having two of each type of chromosome (2n); in humans, this is 2n = 46 or 23 pairs of chromosomes.

Homologous Chromosomes

Chromosomes with the same gene order and content, though they may have different variants of the genes; only occur in diploids and higher ploidy.

Sister Chromatids

Two attached, identical copies of a replicated chromosome.

Tetrad

The structure formed by aligned, replicated homologous chromosomes in meiosis.

DNA Replication

The process by which a cell makes a copy of its DNA before it divides.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in four haploid cells.

Mitosis

A type of cell division that results in two identical diploid cells.

Nondisjunction

An error in meiosis or mitosis in which homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids fail to separate properly.