Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

BIOL 2320 - Genetics > Eukaryotic Chromosome Abnormalities: Changes to Chromosome Structure + Number > Flashcards

Eukaryotic Chromosome Abnormalities: Changes to Chromosome Structure + Number Flashcards

(86 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

Define aneuploidy

A

‘not euploid’

the addition or removal of a chromosome which alters the euploid number (n+1 or n-1 if one chromosome pair is affected)

caused by nondisjunction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Define polyploidy

A

the presence of three or more sets of chromosomes in the nucleus of an organism (ex. 3n, 5n, 6n, etc.)

common in plants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the difference between aneuploidy and polyploidy?

A

Aneuploidy is a change in the number of chromosomes in a single set

Polyploidy is a change in the number of sets of chromosomes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Define monosomic

A

an organism/fertilized egg with 2n-1 ploidy that results in an aneuploid gamete fusing with a normal haploid gametes at fertilization and giving the organism a single copy of one of the chromosomes rather than a homologous pair

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Define trisomic

A

an organism/fertilized egg with 2n+1 ploidy that results in an aneuploid gamete fusing with a normal haploid gametes at fertilization which gives an organism 3 of one of the chromosomes rather than a homologous pair

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Describe nondisjunction

A

the failure of chromosomes and sister chromatids to properly disjoin/detach during anaphase of meiosis which causes abnormalities in chromosome numbers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How does nondisjunction lead to monosomy?

A

Nondisjunction in meiosis causes aneuploidy (different number of chromosomes in a set) and when an aneuploid gamete fuses with a regular gamete, there’s only a single copy of one of the chromosomes = monosomy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How does nondisjunction lead to trisomy?

A

Nondisjunction in meiosis causes aneuploidy (different number of chromosomes in a set) and when an aneuploid gamete fuses with a regular gamete, there’s three copies of one of the chromosomes = trisomy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Describe where nondisjunction occurs during meiosis I

A

Nondisjunction in meiosis I causes the failure of homologous pairs to be pulled apart during anaphase I which results in both homologs moving to the same side of the pole = a different number of chromosomes for that set in both cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Describe where nondisjunction occurs during meiosis II

A

Nondisjunction in meiosis II causes the failure of sister chromatids to be pulled apart during anaphase II

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What gametes would be produced from nondisjunction in meiosis I and II in a heterozygous individual?

A

Either monosomic (2n-1) or trisomic (2n+1)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Why are half of a trisomic organism’s gametes (offspring) aneuploid?

A

Because half of the gametes produced during meiosis were effected by nondisjunction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Why are aneuploids often not as viable as polyploids?

A

the chromosomes are not distributed equally and there is missing genetic material

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What does it mean to be heterozygous for a chromosomal rearrangement?

A

one chromosome of a pair has a mutation resulting from chromosome breakage such as translocation, deletion, inversion, or duplication and one of the chromosomes is normal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Describe a deletion mutation

A

A mutation that results from the loss of part of a chromosome

Can be caused by chromosome breakage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are the two results of deletion mutations?

A

terminal

interstitial

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Describe terminal deletion

A

Chromosome breakage that results in the detachment of all or part of one chromosome arm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Describe an interstitial deletion

A

chromosome breakage that leads to the loss of an internal portion of a chromosome

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Why are some deletion mutations lethal when homozygous?

A

if both chromosomes in a homologous pair are missing pieces of the genetic material, essential genes may be deleted and will not be transcribed and translated which may lead to an unviable organism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Why are some deletion mutations lethal when heterozygous?

A

deletion can cause gene dosage problems and if the organism is highly sensitive to changes in gene dosage, having deletion mutations in one chromosome can lead to death

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Why are recombination frequencies lower in organisms heterozygous for a deletion?

A

recombination cannot occur in the region of the chromosome that forms a deletion loop (where deletion has occurred

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Why do deletion heterozygotes form loops when homologs pair in meiosis?

A

organisms that are heterozygous for deletion mutations have one normal homolog and one partially deleted homolog so there is a mismatch in genetic material when they pair

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Describe a duplication mutation

A

An unequal crossover event results in some genetic material of one homolog being duplicated

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Why are recombination frequencies higher in organisms that are heterozygous for a duplication?

A

the chromosome with the duplication has extra genetic material so there is more space available for crossover

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Why do duplication heterozygotes form loops when homologs pair in meiosis?
organisms that are heterozygous for duplication mutations have one normal homolog and one partially duplicated homolog so there is a mismatch in genetic material when they pair
26
Describe an inversion mutation
A mutation that occurs when chromosome breakage leads to the reattachment of DNA strands at the wrong broken ends, causing the chromosome to be in the wrong orientation
27
Why are some inversion mutations lethal when homozygous?
if the inversion includes essential genes, a homozygous individual will not survive
28
Why do viable inversion homozygotes pair and recombine normally during meiosis?
29
Why do viable inversion homozygotes have different linkage maps than organisms with wild-type chromosomes?
the gene order will be reversed in the area of inversion so the map distances between genes will also differ when compared to a wild-type chromosome
30
Why are some inversion mutations lethal when heterozygous?
with pericentric inversion (crossover inside the inversion region), the recombinant gametes will have a duplicated and deleted region and may not survive due to abnormal dosages of some of the genes with paracentric inversion (crossover outside the inversion region), recombinant gametes will have altered gene dosage and an acentric and dicentric centromere which cause losses and breakages of chromosomes --> lethal
31
Why do inversion heterozygotes form loops when homologs pair in meiosis?
When a normal chromosome pairs with its inverted homolog, the genetic material will be mismatched and will cause a loop
32
What is the result of crossover within the inversion loop in a heterozygous organism?
duplications and deletions in the recombinant chromosomes
33
Why does crossover within the inversion loop of an organism that is heterozygous for an inversion result in non-viable recombinants?
pericentric inversion results in nonviable offspring because it causes duplications and deletions in chromosomes of the gamete which changes the gene dosages and can be lethal
34
Why do inversion heterozygotes have reduced recombinant frequencies?
the inversion loop forms during meiosis to maximize pairing but if crossover occurs in the inversion loop, duplications and deletions of the chromosomes occur and this leads to nonviable recombinant chromosomes crossovers do occur, but they produce nonviable recombinants that are not observed in progeny
35
Why do some inversion heterozygotes have reduced fertility?
if there is a large inversion, any crossover that occurs will produce two viable and two nonviable gametes, so ~half of the gametes are lost
36
Describe a reciprocal translocation mutation
A mutation that occurs when chromosome breakage leads to the reattachment of broken DNA strands to a non-homologous chromosome (ie., a completely different chromosome with different genetic material)
37
Why do reciprocal translocation homozygotes pair and recombine normally during meiosis?
38
Why do reciprocal translocation homozygotes have different linkage maps than wild-type organisms?
the gene order is rearranged in translocated chromosomes because fragments of the chromosome are moved around
39
Why do reciprocal translocation heterozygotes form cross-shaped structures when homologs pair in meiosis?
because none of the four chromosomes has a fully homologous partner
40
What are the 2 common segregation options/patterns for a translocation heterozygote in meiosis I?
adjacent-1 alternate
41
Describe adjacent-1 translocation
one normal and one translocated chromosome move to each pole of the cell
42
Describe alternate translocation
The two normal chromosomes move to one pole of the cell and the two translocated chromosomes move to the other pole
43
What do mutations resulting in loss or gain of whole chromosomes or chromosome segments produce? Why?
produce severe abnormalities due to gene dosage imbalances
44
What can cause changes to chromosome structure?
chromosome breakage or other events
45
What are the 4 major changes to chromosome structure?
loss of chromosome segments gain of chromosome segments partial deletion duplication
46
Describe what occurs when a chromosome breaks and how this event can cause changes to the structure
when a chromosome breaks, both DNA strands are severed the broken chromosome ends can adhere to each other, to other broken ends, or to the ends of intact chromosomes
47
Describe an acentric chromosome fragment
a chromosome fragment that lacks a centromere
48
What happens if a chromosome breaks and the piece that breaks off is acentric?
it will be lost during cell division because there's no centromere
49
What is the result of unequal crossover between 2 homologs?
a partial duplication on one homolog and a partial deletion on the other
50
What is a partial duplication heterozygote?
an organism with one normal and one duplication homolog
51
What is a partial deletion heterozygote?
an organism with one normal and one deleted homolog
52
When are large deletions or duplications detectable?
during prophase I when homologs synapse
53
When will chromosome breakage not cause any phenotypic changes?
If no critical genes or regulatory regions are mutated and dose-sensitive genes are balanced
54
What are the 2 types of chromosome inversion? What does this depend on?
paracentric inversion pericentric inversion depends on the relative position of the centromere
55
Describe paracentric inversion
the centromere is outside of the inverted region
56
Describe pericentric inversion
the centromere is within the inverted region
57
Describe an inversion heterozygote
an organism with one normal and one inverted homolog
58
What is the result of crossover that occurs outside of the inversion region in a heterozygous organism?
normal crossover and normal recombination
59
What is the result of crossovers that occur within a paracentric inversion?
a dicentric chromosome + an acentric fragment dicentric chromosome is pulled toward both poles of the cell = a dicentric bridge that will eventually break both products of the break are missing genetic material and the acentric fragment is lost
60
What is the result of crossover within a pericentric inversion region?
duplicated and deleted regions in both of the recombinant products
61
What kind of gametes are produced from either paracentric or pericentric inversions?
2 normal gametes (from the non-crossover chromatids) 2 abnormal gametes (from the crossover chromatids)
62
What are three of the genetic implications of recombination in inversion heterozygotes?
1. the probability of crossover within the inversion loop is proportional to the size of the loop 2. inversion suppresses the production of recombinant chromosomes (crossover suppression) 3. fertility may be altered if an inversion heterozygote carries a very large inversion
63
What gametes are produced from nondisjunction in meiosis I?
either n+1 or n-1
64
What does the fusion of gametes produced by nondisjunction in meiosis I and normal gametes (n) result in?
either trisomic (2n+1) or monosomic (2n-1) offspring
65
How many gametes are affected by a nondisjunction event in meiosis II?
2 of the 4
66
What gametes are produced from nondisjunction in meiosis II?
2 will be normal (n) one will be n-1 one will be n+1
67
T or F: aneuploidy doesn't affect gene dosage
false! it affects the dosage of all the genes on the affected chromosome
68
Which organisms are highly sensitive to changes in gene dosages? Which are more tolerant?
animals are usually highly sensitive plants are tolerant
69
T or F: humans are not that sensitive to gene dosage changes
false! aneuploids often do not survive
70
Which types of aneuploidy are viable?
autosomal trisomies of chromosomes 13, 18, and 21
71
T or F: there are viable autosomal monosomies
false
72
Are sex-chromosome aneuploidies viable?
yes
73
How is the rate of nondisjunction related to maternal age?
the rate increases with maternal age
74
What is Turner Syndrome?
a monosomy of the X chromosome (XO) = no second sex chromosome
75
What are the 2 types of polyploidy?
autopolyploidy allopolyploidy
76
What is autopolyploidy?
the duplication of chromosome sets within a species
77
What is allopolyploidy?
when chromosome sets of different species are combined
78
What are the 3 most common causes of autopolyploidy?
meiotic nondisjunction that leads to a diploid gamete (ex. 2n egg + n pollen --> 3n plant) mitotic nondisjunction that doubles chromosome number (ex. 2n cell --> 4n cell) the combination of both (ex. 2n egg + n pollen --> 3n --> 6n)
79
What is the result of allopolyploidy?
infertility due to the lack of homologous chromosomes during meiosis (because they come from different species)
80
What are 2 consequences of polyploidy?
increase in fruit and flower size decrease in fertility (especially in odd-numbered polyploids) almost all gametes are nonviable
81
What results in heterozygotes for reciprocal balanced translocations? Why?
an unusual cross-like structure at metaphase I forms as a result of none of four chromosomes having a fully homologous partner
82
What is the third and more rare chromosome segregation pattern that results from reciprocal balanced translocations?
adjacent-2 segregation occurs when homologous centromeres move together to each pole of the cell
83
What do the gametes that are produced by alternate segregation contain?
a full haploid set of genes
84
What do the gametes that are produced by adjacent segregation contain?
two copies of some genes and the complete absence of others
85
Which pattern of reciprocal balanced translocations results in normal gametes (and therefore normal fertility)?
alternate segregation
86
What is the fertility of translocation heterozygotes? why?
semi-sterile because only alternate segregation leads to normal gametes adjacent segregation leads to some absences of genes

BIOL 2320 - Genetics (12 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions