Reproduction Unit 2 - Biological Science

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic reproduction terminology, cell division types (mitosis and meiosis), asexual reproduction methods, sexual reproduction in animals, and plant reproductive anatomy.

Reproduction

The process by which parents produce new individuals.

Offspring

The name given to new individuals produced by parents.

Mitosis

The division of cells to produce identical "daughter" cells with complete genetic information; used for repair, growth, and asexual reproduction.

Diploid

A cell condition containing two copies of each chromosome.

Meiosis

The formation of specialised reproductive cells known as gametes.

Gametes

Specialised reproductive cells found in the male and female reproductive organs.

Asexual Reproduction

A reproductive process that does not involve the joining of gametes and requires only one parent, resulting in offspring that grow from the parent's body or an unfertilised egg.

Budding

A type of asexual reproduction where the offspring grows as a "bud" on the side of the parent before breaking off, as seen in corals and sponges.

Fission

A type of asexual reproduction where a parent splits into two individuals, such as binary fission in bacteria or sea stars.

Parthenogenesis

A form of reproduction where offspring develop from unfertilised eggs, common in water fleas, bees, and some reptiles.

Vegetative reproduction

Asexual reproduction in plants where new individuals arise from specialized structures like tubers, bulbs, or rhizomes.

Tubers

Swollen parts developing from the plant stem underground, such as potatoes.

Bulb

A swollen underground part of a plant that develops leaves, such as onions, tulips, and garlic.

Rhizome

A plant stem that grows along underground, sprouting shoots and roots at intervals, such as bamboo.

Clone

An exact copy of an individual.

Tissue culture

A cloning method where tissue samples are grown in a laboratory on a growth medium.

Cuttings

A method of cloning plants by cutting a part of the plant and placing it in soil until new roots form.

Sexual Reproduction

The formation of a new individual from the fusion of a sperm cell and an egg cell to form a zygote ($\text{Sperm} + \text{Egg} \rightarrow \text{Zygote}$).

Fertilisation

The process where a sperm cell and an egg cell fuse.

Hermaphrodites

Species that possess both male and female sex organs.

Testes

Male sex organs that produce sperm cells.

Cloaca

A structure where sperm empties into the end of the digestive tube and passes out through a vent, found in reptiles, birds, and platypus.

Ovaries

Female sex organs that produce egg cells.

External fertilisation

A process where eggs are laid by a female and fertilised by a male outside the female's body, common in fish and frogs.

Internal fertilisation

Fertilisation that occurs inside the body, commonly used by land animals to protect gametes from unsafe environments.

Copulation

The passage of sperm from a male to a female.

Angiosperms

Plants that use flowers as reproductive structures to allow fertilisation and seed production.

Gymnosperms

Plants that do not have flowers and typically produce cones for reproduction.

Pollen

Similar to animal sperm, it contains the male gamete and is produced in the anther.

Anther

The part of the flower that produces pollen.

Stigma

The site on the flower where pollen is deposited.

Pollinated

The state of a flower once pollen has been deposited onto the stigma.

Pollen tubule

A structure that grows through the style into the egg to facilitate seed production.

Embryo

An early development plant contained within a seed along with food and nourishment.

Germination

The process of development of the plant embryo.

Petal

Coloured parts of a flower used to attract animals for pollination.

Style

The plant structure that connects the stigma to the ovary.

Ovule

The specific name for the egg in plants.

Filament

The structure that holds the anther in a flower.

Sepal

The structure that covers the flower in the bud and provides protection.