Cellular Reproduction and Genetic Inheritance

Flashcards covering key concepts and terms related to cellular reproduction and genetic inheritance.

What are sister chromatids?

Identical strands of DNA formed by the replication of a chromosome.

What is the role of the centromere?

It holds the sister chromatids together until they are separated during cell division.

What phases make up the cell cycle?

Interphase, Mitosis (Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase), and Cytokinesis.

What occurs during interphase?

The cell grows, duplicates its DNA, and prepares for mitosis.

What is mitosis?

The process of cell division that results in two identical daughter cells.

List the phases of mitosis in order.

Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase.

What is the cleavage furrow?

The indentation in the surface of an animal cell that begins the process of cytokinesis.

How does cytokinesis differ in animals vs. plants?

Animals form a cleavage furrow, while plants form a cell plate.

What are cell cycle checkpoints?

Regulatory points in the cell cycle that ensure the cell is ready to proceed to the next phase.

What is cancer in terms of cellular growth?

Uncontrolled cell division due to failure of the cell cycle checkpoints.

What are homologous chromosomes?

Chromosome pairs that are similar in shape, size, and gene content.

Define diploid.

A cell that contains two complete sets of chromosomes, one from each parent.

Define haploid.

A cell that contains a single set of unpaired chromosomes.

What are gametes?

Reproductive cells (sperm and eggs) that are haploid.

What occurs during fertilization?

Union of a sperm and an egg to form a diploid zygote.

What is meiosis?

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

What is a karyotype?

A visual representation of an individual's complete set of chromosomes.

What is nondisjunction?

The failure of chromosomes to separate properly during cell division.

What is an example of a result of nondisjunction?

Down Syndrome, which is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21.

What does heredity mean?

The passing of traits from parents to offspring.

Define genetics.

The study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics.

What is a monohybrid cross?

A genetic cross between individuals that involves one pair of contrasting traits.

Define phenotype.

The observable characteristics or traits of an organism.

What is incomplete dominance?

A genetic situation in which one allele does not completely dominate another, resulting in a new phenotype.

What are multiple alleles?

More than two possible alleles exist for a single gene.

Explain the structure of a nucleotide.

A nucleotide consists of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

What is transcription?

The process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA.

What is the function of RNA polymerase?

An enzyme that synthesizes RNA from a DNA template during transcription.

What is the semiconservative model of DNA replication?

The model in which each strand of the original DNA serves as a template for a new strand.

What is a codon?

A sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that corresponds to a specific amino acid.

What is the role of transfer RNA (tRNA)?

tRNA transfers specific amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis.

What happens during translation?

The process of assembling amino acids into proteins based on the sequence of codons in mRNA.