Reproductive Biology and Genetics Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering terms, definitions, and mechanisms from the reproductive biology lecture notes.

ovarian follicle

A structure consisting of the primary oocyte ($2n$) with periphery positioned follicle cells which are small in size.

prophage

A phage (viral) genome inserted and integrated into the circular bacterial DNA chromosome or existing as an extrachromosomal plasmid during the lysogenic cycle.

lysogenic cycle

A viral cycle where attachment and penetration occur, and viral DNA incorporates with bacterial DNA without breaking it to form a prophage, which duplicates during bacterial reproduction.

recombination

A type of genetic unity that takes place between two different strains of colon bacteria (E. coli) when mixed within one transplant media, resulting in a new strain functionally differing from the original strains.

Donor cell

A bacterial cell that contains the fertility factor represented by DNA particles in its cytoplasm and sex pili on its surface, making it the male donor cell.

Recipient cell

A bacterial cell that does not contain fertility factor or sex pili and represents the female cell.

Fertility factor

DNA particles found in the cytoplasm of a donor cell that move to the recipient cell through the conjugation bridge, resulting in both cells possessing the fertility factor or plasmid.

Zygospore

A diploid zygote formed by the union of isogametes in Chlamydomonas; it swims, loses its flagella, and surrounds itself with a thick cellulose wall to resist unsuitable environmental conditions.

self-fertilization (Autogamy)

A reproduction process in which two primary micronuclei containing half the number of chromosomes ($n$) unite to form an identical nucleus (synkaryion) containing identical genetic factors (Homozygous).

alternation of generation

A phenomenon in plant reproduction where the complete plant life cycle consists of two stages: sporophyte and gametophyte.

Prothallus

A heart-shaped, green-coloured structure produced by growing spores that carries the archegonium (female), antheridium (male), and rhizoids growing from its sharp side.

Antheridia

Haploid male gametangia containing male gametes, carried on leafy stems in Polytrichum and on the prothallus in ferns representing the gametophyte.

stigma

The top, puffed-up part of the pistil, covered in places by a sticky liquid to facilitate the sticking of pollen grains to it.

Complete flower

A flower in which all basic floral parts exist, including sepals, petals, stamens, and pistil.

anther

A cylindrical bag-shaped or elliptic structure containing pollen carried by filaments, consisting of two splits where each compartment is called a Pollen sac or Microsporangium.

nucellus

A small hump connected to the ovary wall through the funiculus, covered by layers leaving a micropyle hole, and housing a megaspore mother cell that undergoes meiosis to form four megaspores ($n$).

pollination

The process of transporting pollen from an anther to the stigma of the same or another plant, leading to fertilization and seed production; classified into self pollination and cross pollination.

self-pollination

The transport of pollen from the anther of a flower to the stigma of the same flower or another flower on the same plant, occurring in species like wheat, barley, rice, cotton, beans, peas, and orange trees.

cross pollination

The transition of pollen from the anther of a flower to the stigma of a flower on another plant of the same type or species, producing larger and more abundant fruits as seen in date palm trees.

Pollen tube

A narrow-diameter tube growing from the pollen grain after landing on the stigma, containing a tube cell and two sperm cells, representing the mature male gametophyte.

double fertilization

A characteristic process in flowering plants involving the union of one sperm cell nucleus with the egg nucleus to form a zygote ($2n$) and another sperm cell nucleus with two polar nuclei to form an endosperm nucleus ($3n$).

false fruits

Fruits formed by the growth and expansion of the ovary along with other flower parts, such as the receptacle in apples or flower covers in berries.

Simple fruits

Fruits derived from a single flower with one carpel or many carpels, such as broad beans, tomato, cucumber, orange, and apricot.

Aggregate fruits

Fruits formed from many separated carpels belonging to a single flower, such as the blackberry.

Compound fruits

Also called multiple fruits, these are formed from a group of flowers where each flower forms a fruit and all remain connected at maturity, as in pineapples.

Seminal receptacle

A sac structure in the female reproductive system of most insects that receives and stores sperms during mating, connected to a gland that secretes liquid to keep the sperms viable.

Accessory glands

A pair of glands located at the ejaculatory duct in male insects (forming a sperm sac) or at the vagina in female insects, serving functions such as forming ovisacs, defense, or path marking.

vasa efferentia

Components of the male frog reproductive system numbering 10 to 12 that connect the seminiferous tubules to the kidney tubules.

fat body

Finger-shaped projections near the front end of frog testes that serve as a food store used for testes growth during the winter season.

Nuptial pad

An expansion on the first finger of male frogs that aids in holding the female during mating.

Cowper's glands

Accessory glands in the male human reproductive system, also called Bulbourethral glands, that secrete mucus liquid to help move sperm and equalize liquid acidity.

Fallopian tubes

Two tubes (also called oviducts) with funnel-shaped openings and fimbria lining that receive released eggs after ovulation and transport them to the uterus, serving as the common site of fertilization.

Graafian follicle

A structure in the female ovary consisting of a primary oocyte and surrounding follicle cells that grows in size until exploding to release the mature egg.

Corpus luteum

A structure formed from remaining follicle tissues that produces progesterone between days 15-28 of the menstrual cycle and up to the fifth month of pregnancy, dissolving if pregnancy does not occur.

Estrogen

A female sexual hormone produced in the human ovary by the ovarian follicle that thickens the internal uterine lining, making it rich with vessels and glands.

Parthenogenesis

A form of reproduction where an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg, occurring in aphids, insects, honey bees, whiptail lizards, and certain fishes and amphibians.

certain whiptail lizards in south-west of America

Female-only populations of whiptail lizards whose chromosomes double to tetraploid ($4n$) before meiosis to produce diploid ($2n$) eggs that develop without fertilization via parthenogenesis.

hermaphroditism (or hermaphrodite)

A condition in which an animal possesses both male and female reproductive organs, producing both eggs and sperms, though self-fertilization is usually avoided except in organisms like tapeworms.