The process of meisos is:
1. DNA replicates,
2. Cell divides twice,
Describe the process of meiosis.
3. Forming 4 cells called gametes-
each with a set of chromosons that
are all genetically different.
Mitosis results in the formation of two
Explain the difference between meiosis and
identical cells from one cell, while meiosis
mitosis.
results in four non-identical cells.
Gametes are the reproductive cells that carry
Explain the role of gametes in sexual
genetic information and combine during
reproduction.
fertilization to create offspring.
The advantages are genetic variation, this
Desribe the advantages of sexual
variation gives a survival advantage by
reproduction.
natural selection.
Asexual reproduction involves only one
Describe the advantages of asexual
parent, is faster, and more time and energy
reproduction
efficient.
A survival advantage refers to a characteristic
What is a survival advantage in the context of that allows an organism to survive better in a
sexual reproduction? changing environment, increasing the
chances of species survival.
DNA is a polymer made up of two strands that
Explain the structure of DNA. wrap around each other in a double helix
structure, containing four bases.
A gene is a small section of DNA on a
chromosome that codes for a specific
What is a gene and its function?
sequence of amino acids to make a specific
protein.
The genome is the entire genetic material
Define the term 'genome'.
within an organism.
Studying the human genome has improved
How has studying the human genome
understanding of genes linked to diseases,
impacted medicine?
treatment of inherited disorders.
Each nucleotide is composed of one sugar
Describe the structure of a nucleotide. molecule, one phosphate molecule, and one
of four types of organic bases (A, T, C, G).
A DNA molecule consists of two strands
How are DNA strands organized in a DNA twisted together, with each base connected
molecule? to a complementary base on the opposite
strand.
The order of bases in DNA forms a code that
determines which proteins are produced, as
Define the role of the order of bases in DNA.
each group of three bases codes for an amino
acid.
What is the significance of amino acids in The order of amino acids determine the type
protein synthesis? of protein formed.
Protein synthesis involves the expression of a
Explain the process of protein synthesis gene coded in DNA, where DNA is transcribed
starting from DNA. into mRNA, which then translates into a
sequence of amino acids to form a protein.
mRNA serves as a template that carries the
Describe the role of mRNA in protein genetic code from the DNA in the nucleus to
synthesis. the ribosomes in the cytoplasm, where it is
translated into a protein.
During transcription, the two strands of DNA
What happens to DNA during the pull apart, and mRNA nucleotides match to
transcription process? their complementary bases on the DNA
strand to form a new mRNA strand.
Insertions and deletions change the reading
frame of the DNA sequence, potentially
How do insertions and deletions differ from
altering all subsequent amino acids, while
substitutions in terms of their impact on
substitutions may only change one amino
protein coding?
acid or have no effect if the new sequence
still codes for the same amino acid.
A gamete is a reproductive cell and its role is
What is a gamete and its role in reproduction? to combine with another gamete during
fertilization to form a new organism.
Explain the role of alleles in genetics. Alleles are the different forms of a gene.
A dominant allele only requires one copy to
Describe the difference between a dominant
be expressed, while a recessive allele requires
allele and a recessive allele.
two copies to be expressed.
Homozygous refers to having two identical
What does homozygous mean in genetics?
alleles for a particular gene,
Heterozygous refers two having two different
How is heterozygous defined?
alleles for a particular gene
Genotype is the combination of alleles an
Define genotype.
individual has.
Phenotype refers to the physical
What is phenotype and how does it differ
characteristics observed in an individual,
from genotype?
while genotype refers to the genetic makeup.
A single gene cross examines the probability
of offspring having certain genotypes and
Describe the process of a single gene cross.
phenotypes based on the alleles of two
parents.
A Punnett square is used to predict the
How is a Punnett square used in genetics? genotypes and phenotypes of offspring based
on the alleles of the parents.
Polydactyly is caused by a dominant allele,
Describe the cause of polydactyly. resulting in the presence of extra fingers or
toes.
Embryonic screening allows scientists to
observe whether an embryo will have a
How does embryonic screening work? genetic condition by testing embryo DNA to
see if it has alleles for a specific inherited
disease.
The 23rd pair of chromosomes carries sex-
What is the significance of the 23rd pair of
determining genes, which are crucial for
chromosomes in humans?
determining an individual's sex.
Genetic variation is the difference in inherited
Explain the concept of genetic variation in a
genes due to mutation, meiosis and sexual
population.
repproduction.
Describe the role of mutations in genetic All genetic variation is caused by mutations-
variation. change in DNA.
Evolution is a change in the inherited
characteristics of a population over time
Describe the process of evolution.
through natural selection, which may lead to
the formation of a new species.
The theory of evolution posits that all species
have evolved from simple life forms that
Explain the theory of evolution. developed over three billion years ago,
primarily through the process of natural
selection.
Speciation is the process by which one
population of a species becomes so different
Define speciation. from another that they can no longer
interbreed to produce fertile offspring,
resulting in the formation of a new species.
Selective breeding is a process where humans
What is selective breeding? choose specific organisms to breed in order to
produce offspring with desired characteristics.
A reduced gene pool means fewer different
How does a reduced gene pool affect a alleles, which decreases the likelihood that
species' survival? some organisms will have a survival
advantages, potentially leading to extinction.
Describe the impact of a small gene pool on A small gene pool increases the likelihood of
genetic defects in offspring. genetic defects in offspring.
Genetic engineering involves modifying an
organism's genome by introducing a gene
Explain the process of genetic engineering.
from another organism to achieve a desired
characteristic.
Genes from chrosomes are cut out and then
What happens in genetic engineering?
transfered to cells of other organisms.
Plant cells are engineered by introducing
How are plant cells engineered for disease specific genes, resulting in plants that have a
resistance? better yield and can better withstand
pathogens.
Cloning is the process of creating genetically
Define cloning. identical organisms that are produced by
asexual reproduction.
The methods of plant cloning include tissue
What are the methods of plant cloning?
culture and cuttings.
Explain the process of tissue culture in plant Tissue culture includes using cells from a part
cloning. of a plant rto grow indentical new plants.
The cuttings method involves taking a section
Describe the cuttings method of plant
of a plant with, resulting in many genetically
cloning.
identical plants from the parent.
The two types are:
Embryo transplants: This involves
transferring embryos from one
organism to another to create
What are the two types of animal cloning?
genetically identical offspring.
Adult cloning: This involes producing
a whole new animal from one cell of
another adult animal.
Charles Darwin proposed the theory of
Explain the significance of Charles Darwin in evolution, supported by his experiments and
the theory of evolution. discoveries in geology and fossils during his
round-the-world expedition.
Survival of the fittest refers to the idea that
organisms with characteristics best suited to
Describe the concept of 'survival of the their environment are more likely to survive
fittest' in the context of evolution. to reproductive and successfully breed,
passing on beneficial traits to the next
generation.
Lamarck proposed that changes occurring
Describe Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's theory of
during an organism's lifetime could be passed
evolution.
to offspring.
Fossil evidence showed gradual
What evidence supported Darwin's theory of
developments in organisms, supporting the
evolution over time?
idea that species evolve slowly over time.
Gregor Mendel's work was significant because
he conducted breeding experiments on pea
Explain the significance of Gregor Mendel's plants, observing inherited characteristics. He
work in genetics. concluded that offspring inherit 'hereditary
units' from each parent, which can be
dominant or recessive.
In the late 19th century, the behaviour of
What was discovered about chromosomes in
chromosones during ell division was
the late 19th century?
observed.
How did the understanding of genes evolve in In the 20th century, the stucutre of DNA was
the 20th century? determined.
The theory of evolution by natural selection
Describe the theory of evolution by natural
show that characterisitcs are passed on to
selection.
offspring.
Define what fossils are and how they are Fossils are the remains of organisms from
formed. millions of years ago founs in rocks.
Fossils can form when parts of organisms do
Describe the process by which fossils can
not decay due to environmental conditions, or
form from parts of organisms.
when minerals replace decayed parts.
Factors contributing to extinction include
List factors that can contribute to the environmental changes, new predators,
extinction of a species. diseases, competition for resources and
catastrophic events.
Antibiotic resistance in bacteria demonstrates
evolution through natural selection, where
How does antibiotic resistance in bacteria
bacteria with advantageous mutations
serve as evidence for evolution?
survive antibiotic exposure and reproduce,
leading to resistant populations.
The binomial naming system assigns each
organism a two-part name used worldwide,
Explain the binomial naming system.
consisting of the genus name followed by the
species name.
The three domains are:
Archaea (primitive bacteria in
extreme environments),
Identify the three domains of life and provide Bacteria (true bacteria),
a brief description of each. Eukaryota (organisms with
membrane-enclosed nuclei,
including plants, animals, fungi, and
protists).