[ GEN BIO ] Lesson 11: Significance and Implications of Mitosis and Meiosis

Cell division, both mitosis and meiosis,

is an essential process that covers a wide array of functions, from wound healing to growth and development, and to the formation of gametes in sexually reproducing organisms.

• maintenance of genetic material

• repair and recovery

• growth and development

• asexual reproduction

Significance of Mitosis (4)

Genome

complete set of genetic material in somatic cells

Maintenance

Genome must be maintained to ensure proper biological functions.

Mitosis

This division allows complete set of genetic material to be inherited.

Genome

The _____ of an organism dictates its characteristics. It can also be attributed to the various traits such as the diversity of facial features.

Growth and development

Ex: Organisms as huge as the elephants grow through repeated mitosis

• growth as an essential part of an organism’s maturity

• growth as the increase in the organism’s size

• growth achieved through an increase in cell number

• growth as a process attributed to mitosis

Growth and development (4)

Cleavage

The process of ______ immediately follows the formation of the zygote.

Repair and recovery

Ex: Old and damaged cells are replaced through mitotic division.

Hydra

reproduces asexually through budding.

• reduction of genetic material and sexual reproduction

• Inheritance

• Genetic Diversity

• Survival

Significance of Meiosis (4)

Diploid, Haploid

All human body cells are _____ except gametes which are _____.

Reduction of genetic material and sexual reproduction

• reduction in chromosome number to produce gametes

• allows both parents to contribute genetic material

• restoration of chromosome number during fertilization

Asexual reproduction

• Some pressures push an organism to resort to asexual reproduction.

• lone parent reproduces asexually

• mitosis as the primary mechanism of asexual reproduction

• Genetic material is completely inherited by the offspring.

Inheritance

Ex: how chromosomes are passed from parents to children

Genetic diversity

Ex: Different colors of corn kernel can be an indicator of high ________.

Survival

• Crossing over as a mechanism of genetic recombination

• Increase in the probability of survival as more traits can buffer the effects of changes in the environment

• Increase in genetic diversity resulting in more traits which can be adaptive

• Production of new genetic variants

Survival

Ex: The hair of wooly mammoths are an adaptation for cold climates.

Genetic Engineering

Meiosis produces new cell variants, and mitosis proliferates genetically modified cells.

Stem Cell Technology

Applications of stem cell therapy range from genetic disorders to injuries.

Growth

in the biological sense, refers to an increase in body size usually because of an increase in the number of cells, a process achieved through mitotic divisions.

Hayflick Limit

Cells are usually limited by a certain number of times that they can divide before being too aged to further undergo mitosis. This limit is known as the _______.

Crossing over

is when the homologous chromosomes in the tetrads exchange segments. This is an event during meiotic division that allows recombination of genes, and ultimately, enhances genetic variation.

Meiosis

is essential in reducing the number of chromosomes during the production of gametes. It allows the restoration of the original chromosome number during fertilization.

Genetic Modification

Genetic engineering, known as _______, is a biotechnology that involves directly manipulating an organism’s genes using various techniques.