Study Guide for Chapter 8

Flashcards based on the key concepts and vocabulary from Chapter 8 on reproduction and cell division.

Asexual Reproduction

Producing offspring that are genetic copies of the parent and identical to each other.

Sexual Reproduction

Creates a variety of genetically diverse offspring.

Binary Fission

A method of asexual reproduction used by prokaryotes where the cell splits into identical cells.

Mitosis

A form of asexual cell reproduction that leads to two daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes as the parent.

Meiosis

A type of sexual cell reproduction in eukaryotes that produces four daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes.

Gametes

Sex cells produced during meiosis; they are haploid and contain one set of chromosomes.

Diploid

A cell that contains two sets of chromosomes (46 in humans).

Haploid

A cell that contains one set of chromosomes, as seen in gametes.

Homologous Chromosomes

Pairs of chromosomes that have the same genes at the same locations, one inherited from each parent.

Nondisjunction

The failure of chromosomes to separate properly during cell division, which can result in conditions like Down Syndrome.

Polyploidy

A condition of having more than two sets of chromosomes, often found in plants and beneficial in agriculture.

Karyotype

A visual representation of the chromosomes in a cell, used to identify chromosomal abnormalities.

Crossing Over

The exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes during prophase I of meiosis.

Critical Checkpoints

Regulatory mechanisms in the cell cycle (like G1 and G2) that ensure proper cell division.

Growth Factors

Proteins that stimulate cell division and growth.

Cytokinesis

The process in which the cytoplasm divides, forming two daughter cells.