Meiosis Flashcard

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What is meiosis?

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Meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in the production of gametes (sperm and egg cells) with half the number of chromosomes of the original cell.

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How many chromosomes do human somatic cells have?

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Human somatic cells have 46 chromosomes, which are arranged in 23 pairs.

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What is the purpose of meiosis in sexual reproduction?

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The purpose of meiosis in sexual reproduction is to produce gametes with half the number of chromosomes, allowing for genetic diversity when two gametes combine during fertilization.

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What are gametes?

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Gametes are reproductive cells (sperm and egg) that carry half the genetic information of an organism.

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How many chromosomes are in human egg or sperm cells?

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Human egg and sperm cells contain 23 chromosomes.

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What is the difference between meiosis and mitosis?

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Meiosis results in four genetically diverse daughter cells with half the chromosome number, while mitosis results in two identical daughter cells with the same chromosome number as the parent cell.

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What is a diploid cell?

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A diploid cell is a cell that contains two complete sets of chromosomes, one from each parent, totaling 46 in humans.

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What is a haploid cell?

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A haploid cell is a cell that contains only one set of chromosomes, totaling 23 in human gametes.

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What is crossing over in meiosis?

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Crossing over is the process during meiosis where homologous chromosomes exchange genetic material, leading to genetic variation in the resulting gametes.

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What is independent assortment?

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Independent assortment is the random distribution of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, contributing to genetic diversity.