Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to meiosis and sexual life cycles for better understanding and exam preparation.

Asexual reproduction

Creates clones – offspring that are genetically identical to each other and the parent cell.

Gametes

Sex cells that fuse to form a zygote, usually from different individuals.

Zygote

A fertilized egg resulting from the fusion of gametes.

Homologous chromosomes

Pairs of chromosomes containing similar but not identical genetic information, one from each parent.

Polyploidy

Condition of having more than two complete sets of chromosomes, common in plants.

Meiosis

Process of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half to produce haploid cells.

Prophase I

Phase in meiosis where homologous chromosomes pair and exchange genetic material.

Metaphase I

Phase in meiosis where tetrads line up at the midplane of the cell.

Anaphase I

Phase in meiosis where homologous chromosomes separate and move toward opposite poles.

Sister chromatids

Identical copies of a chromosome joined together by a centromere.

Cytokinesis

The process that occurs at the end of cell division, splitting one cell into two.

Crossing over

Exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes, increasing genetic variation.

Interkinesis

Brief interphase between meiosis I and II, where DNA replication does not occur.

Telophase II

Final stage of meiosis II where nuclear membranes reform and cell division is completed.

Mitosis

Process of cell division that results in two identical daughter cells, maintaining chromosome number.

Independent assortment

The random distribution of maternal and paternal chromosomes into gametes during meiosis.

Evolution of sexual reproduction

The idea that sexual reproduction provides advantages in survival and adaptation through genetic variation.

Red Queen hypothesis

Concept that populations must continuously adapt to survive against ever-evolving opposing organisms.

Muller's Ratchet

Phenomenon where asexual populations accumulate harmful mutations, while sexual reproduction can mitigate this.