Concepts of Biology – Chapters 7–10 Multiple Choice Practice Exam

These flashcards cover key concepts from chapters 7 to 10 of the biology lecture notes, including sexual reproduction, meiosis, genetics, modern genetics, and biotechnology.

Sexual Reproduction

A biological process by which new individual organisms are produced through the combination of genetic material from two parents.

Meiosis

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

Diploid

A cell or organism that has two sets of chromosomes, typically one from each parent.

Haploid

A cell or organism that has only one set of chromosomes.

Fertilization

The process in which male and female gametes fuse to form a zygote.

Red Queen Hypothesis

An evolutionary hypothesis which proposes that species must constantly adapt and evolve to survive against co-evolving species.

Alternation of Generations

A life cycle found in plants and some other organisms where they switch between haploid and diploid phases.

Gametophyte Stage

The haploid phase in the alternation of generations that produces gametes.

Spores

Reproductive cells produced by meiosis that can develop into a new organism without the fusion of gametes.

Independent Assortment

The random distribution of alleles into gametes during meiosis.

Nondisjunction

An error in cell division that causes chromosomes to fail to separate properly, leading to gametes with an abnormal number of chromosomes.

Phenotype

The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, as determined by both genetic makeup and environmental influences.

Homozygous

An organism that has two identical alleles for a particular gene.

Recessive Allele

An allele that is masked by the presence of a dominant allele and only expresses its trait if two copies are present.

Monohybrid Cross

A genetic cross that examines the inheritance of a single trait.

Law of Segregation

Mendel's principle that during the formation of gametes, the alleles for a trait separate so that each gamete carries only one allele.

Codominance

A genetic phenomenon where both alleles are fully expressed in the phenotype of the heterozygote.

Polygenic Traits

Characteristics that are influenced by more than one gene.

Transcription

The process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template.

Translation

The process of synthesizing a protein from an mRNA template.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A laboratory technique used to amplify DNA sequences.

Restriction Enzymes

Proteins that cut DNA at specific sequences, commonly used in genetic engineering.

Plasmid

A small, circular piece of DNA commonly found in bacteria, used in genetic engineering.

Gene Therapy

A medical intervention that aims to treat or prevent diseases by inserting, altering, or removing genes within a person's cells.