Bio 181, Fall 2005

 

Learning Objectives for Chapter 13, Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

 

Understand and be able to use the following terms:

 

heredity

variation

genetics

genes

asexual reproduction

clone

sexual reproduction

life cycle

somatic cell

gametes

karyotype

sex chromosomes

autosomes

haploid

zygote

fertilization

syngamy

diploid

meiosis

alternation of generations

meiosis I

meiosis II

synapsis

tetrad

 chiasma ( chiasmata)

 homologous chromosome

crossing over

homologous recombination

homologues

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Explain why organisms reproduce only their own kind and why offspring more closely resemble their parents than unrelated individuals of the same species.
  2. Distinguish between asexual and sexual reproduction.
  3. Distinguish between the purposes of mitosis and meiosis.
  4. Diagram the human life cycle and indicate where in the human body that mitosis and meiosis occur; which cells are the result of meiosis and mitosis; and whether cells are diploid or haploid.
  5. Distinguish between somatic cells, gametes and zygote.  Which are diploid and which are haploid. How are each produced (meiosis, fertilization, mitosis?)
  6. What is a karyotype?  What can it be used for? How do chromosomes differ from each other?
  7. Distinguish between chromosomes, homologous chromosomes and sister chromatids; between sex chromosomes and autosomes.
  8. Why is it important to have reduction divisions during gamete formation?  
  9. Compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis.
  10. List the phases of meiosis I and meiosis II and describe the events characteristic of each phase. Recognize the phases of meiosis from diagrams or micrographs.
  11. Describe the features of meiosis that are different from mitosis.  Why are these differences important to the purpose of meiosis?
  12. Describe the process of crossing over and explain why it leads to genetic variation.
  13. Describe the process of independent assortment and explain why it leads to genetic variation.
  14. Describe the process of random fertilization and explain why it leads to genetic variation.
  15. State the three key ways in which sexual reproduction leads to genetic variation (hint –see #12, 13, & 14).
  16. Explain why inheritable variation was crucial to Darwin's theory of evolution.
  17. List the pros and cons of asexual and sexual reproduction.