Lecture 19: Sexual Reproduction and Meiosis

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to sexual reproduction, meiosis, chromosomes, and genetic variation.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing haploid gametes from diploid cells.

Haploid

Having one copy of each chromosome (n).

Diploid

Having two copies of each chromosome (2n).

Zygote

The first diploid cell formed by the fusion of a sperm and an egg.

Homologous Chromosomes

A pair of chromosomes having the same size, shape, and genes at the same loci; one homolog comes from each parent.

Locus

The specific location or position of a gene on a chromosome.

Allele

A different form of a gene, which may have a slightly different sequence and encode a slightly different protein.

Heterozygous

Having two different alleles for a particular gene.

Homozygous

Having two identical alleles for a particular gene.

Sister Chromatids

Two identical copies of a single chromosome, connected by a centromere, formed after DNA replication in the S phase.