Lesson 2: Meiosis/ fertilisation

Question 1

What are the stages of a reproductive cell dividing to form gametes?

Answer 1

1.) Copies of genetic information are made.
2.) The reproductive cell will divide twice to form 4 gametes, each with a single set of chromosomes.
3.) All gametes are GENETICALLY DIFFERENT to each other.

Question 2

What happens at fertilisation?

Answer 2

• Gametes join to restore the normal number of chromosomes

Question 3

What happens once the normal number of chromosomes have been restored when the egg and sperm cell fuse together?

Answer 3

• The new cell will divide by mitosis.
• The number of cells increases.
• As the embryo develops, cells will differentiate.

Question 4

What does meiosis do to the number of chromosomes in cells in reproductive organs?

Answer 4

• It halves the number of chromosomes by dividing two times to form 4 gametes (that contain half the number of chromosomes to the reproductive cell.)