Sexual Reproduction

Gametes - sex cells

Male sex cell - sperm

Female sex cell - egg

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1. Father and mother produce gametes
2. Sperm nucleus fuses with egg nucleus to produce zygote
3. Zygote undergoes cell division by mitosis and turns into an embryo

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Zygote:

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Meiosis

Division 1:

1. Cell duplicates its DNA
2. Chromosomes from each parent line up at the cell’s equator
3. Pairs are pulled apart - each new cell will have a mixture of chromosomes from mother and father (e.g 3:1 ratio)

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Division 2 - a lot like mitosis:

1. Chromosomes line up at equator
2. Chromatids (arms of chromosomes - not whole chromosome) are pulled apart from each pair

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Produces 4 haploid daughter cells

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