Biology- Adaptations

What are some advantages and disadvantages of sexual + asexual reproduction?

Sexual reproduction:

• Increases genetic diversity

• Improves disease resistance due to different alleles

• Less chance of genetic disorders being passed on

Cons:

• Time, energy and resources spent trying to attract a mate

• Risk of STIs

What are some advantages and disadvantages of cloning?

Advantages:

• Helps increase the number of endangered species

Disadvantages:

• Loss of genetic diversity, causing species to be more exposed to diseases

How come cloning won’t always bring a species out of extinction??

Because of cloning techniques such as SCNT, the offsprings commonly experience dying young and can result in suffering as well as miscarriages.

What are some applications and implications of SCNT (Somatic cell nuclear transplant)??

Applications:

• Replace deceased animals

• Increase desired traits

• Can bring back extinct animals

Implications:

• Animals suffering as SCNT can often be unsuccessful leading to miscarriages in the surrogate mothers as well as severe developmental deformities

• Premature aging: Offspring usually dies at a young age

State one method of plant cloning and describe it

Grafting:

•Part of the stem of one plant (with a desirable trait- scion) is spliced into the cut stem of another plant with well developed roots (a good rootstock).

•Grafting allows more efficient and rapid growth of a plant because it doesn’t have to grow from seed.

Draw out the survival temperature range graph

What are structural adaptations?

Are physical features of an organism including its shape, body covering, defensive or offensive armament and also its internal organisation that help it survive in its habitat.

What are behavioral adaptations?

Actions organisms take to help them to survive.

What are physiological adaptations?

Internal, metabolic changes in an organism that help it survive and reproduce in its environment.

List some biotic and abiotic factors

Biotic factors are living things with an ecosystem. Things like animals, fungi and bacteria are considered biotic whereas abiotic are non-living factors including sunlight, water and minerals.

Define the process of SCNT

What is artificial twinning?

Much like how twins occur with an embryo splitting into two fetuses grow from the split embryos, artificial twinning occurs in the same way but is split manually

List the steps of embryo splitting