Meiosis Mitosis Flashcards
(11 cards)
Whats the difference between somatic and germ cells?
Germ cells produce gametes, somatic cells do not.
What do the terms haploid and diploid mean?
Diploid = cell with two sets of chromosomes
Haploid = cell with one set of chromosomes
What does homologous and non-homologous chromosomes mean?
Homologous - chromosomes are the same length and carry alleles of the same genes.
Non-homologous - chromosomes are not the same length and dont carry the same genes
What are genes?
Units of hereditary, made up of DNA segments
Where are genes located?
On the locus of a particular chromosome
The DNA in a nucleus of a sperm cell is a metre long. How does it fit? What facilitates this?
Folding, facilitated by proteins called histones
How do histones do this
DNA wraps round them, then is looped and coiled.
What is different about the alignment at the metaphase plate in meiosis when compared to mitosis?
Paired homologous chromosomes line up instead of individual replicated chromosomes
What gets separated in meiosis?
Homologous chromosomes, not sister chromatids
Describe the crossing over that occurs in meiosis?
Homologous chromosomes physically connect and exchange genetic information
What is Epigenetics?
The study of the chemical modification of specific genes or the gene-associated proteins of an organism.
