Mader Chapter 10 Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction

Name: Janvi Hathiramani

Start with the stories on 171:

1.

What does meiosis ensure?

Meiosis ensures that offspring will have a different combination of genes and chromosomes.

2.

Do you think there is anything wrong with a 94 year old fathering children (I dont mean physically but
maybe genetically for the child?):
Our chromosomes telomeres (end of the chromosomes) begin to shorten as we age. This man who is 94,
would have a very shortened chromosome, which would in turn affect cell division drastically. Cell division
would not be able to function properly with shortened chromosomes, therefore affecting meiosis. This effect
this child terribly as once meiosis occurs, their chromosomes would not be replicated or split properly.

3.

What cells does meiosis happen in ?

Meiosis occurs in gamete cells, or reproductive cells which are usually the sperm and the egg.

4.

Contrast diploid number and haploid number:

Diploid number refers to the two sets of total chromosomes. The Haploid is a single set of chromosomes and is
half the number of the diploid. For example, in humans the diploid number is 46, while the haploid number is
23.

5.

What does homologous chromosomes mean ?

Homologous chromosomes are chromosomes which looks alike, have the same length genes for the same trait
in the same location, and centromere position. Homologous chromosomes are members of pairs of
Karyotypes, which are human chromosomes arranged according to pairs.

6.

Look at the karyotype in Figure 10.1 how many pairs of chromosomes are there in a normal human?
In a regular human, there are 23 pairs of chromosomes. Why are there 2 at each number?- This is because
chromosomes occur in pairs called homologous chromosomes. What do the X chromosomes represent?- The X
chromosomes represent the sex chromosomes, which help determine the human gender.

7.

What is an allele?
An allele is a an alternate form of a gene. An allele may be similar, but ultimately be different enough to
produce different physical traits.

8.

What is crossing over?

Crossing over is an exchange of genetic material between nonsister chromatids of a bivalent ( two
homologous chromosomes which stay close together during the first two phases of meiosis 1) during Meiosis 1.

9.

In what phase does this happen?

This occurs during Meiosis 1.

10. How does this relate to the fact that many siblings look very different from each other?

This is because due to crossing over, the chromatids held together by the centromere are no longer identical.
Therefore when some of the chromatids separate during Meiosis II, some of the daughter cells receive
chromatids with recombined alleles, and that causes each offspring to have a different set of alleles, and genes
than their siblings and parents.
11. What is independent assortment?
Independent assortment is when homologous chromosomes separate independently.

12. Fill out the chart below to compare Mitosis to Meiosis:

Mitosis:

Meiosis:

In what cells?

Eukaryotic Cells

Gametes

Big Idea:

The omnipresence of Mitosis

suggests common cellular
lineage.

Meiosis provides variation is

zygotes upon which natural
selection can occur.

Abnormal cell division may

explain cancer .
# of daughter cells?

Chromosome
number:

46

46 to 23 as chromosomes
split.

No

Yes

Yes

No

Does crossing over

occur?

Identical to parent
and other daughter
cells?

13. What is spermatogenesis? Where does it occur?

Spermatogenesis is a process that produced sperm in animal males, meiosis is a part of it. This occurs in the
testes.

14. What is oogenesis? Where does it occur?

Oogenesis is a process that produces eggs in animal females. Meiosis is a part of it. Oogenesis occurs in the
ovaries.
15. What are polar bodies?
Polar bodies are one of the haploid cells with 23 chromosomes each, that will either disintegrate or divide
again.

16. Look at Figure 10.8 Who contributes the cytoplasm and organelles to the zygote?
The egg cell contributes most of the organelles, or organs within a cell, that are needed by the zygote .
17. Important* What is nondisjunction?
Nondisjunction is the failure of the homologous or sister chromosomes to separate during either mitosis or
meiosis; this produces cells that have an abnormal number of chromosomes. There is an error in the crossing
over of that produces either extra or missing parts of the chromosomes. There is primary and secondary
disjunction.
18. What is an aneuploidy ?
An aneuploidy is a change in the normal number of chromosomes, which is caused by disjunction during
meiosis. There are two types of errors that can occur a monosomy and a trisomy.
19. Describe a monosomy: This form of nondisjunction occurs when an individual only has one of a particular type of
chromosome when they normally have two. Sometimes denoted by (2n - 1 )
Describe a Trisomy: This form of nondisjunction occurs when an individual has three of a particular type of
chromosome when they normally have two. Sometimes denoted by (2n + 1 )
20. What is trisomy 21?
Trisomy 21 is common autosomal trisomy , which is often called Down syndrome. This causes a short stature, an
eyelid fold, flat face ,
stubby fingers , wide gap between the first and second toe , a large fissured tongue ,
round head ; a distinctive palm crease , heart problems and some degree of mental retardation (which at times
can be severe) . These individuals have higher chances of developing leukemia and Alzheimer's. These
individuals age rapidly , and have a shorter life expectancy.
21. Why does mother's age play a role in this?
A mothers age plays a role in the likeliness of her child having trisomy 21. It is believed that the longer the
oocytes are stored in a female , the greater the likelihood of nondisjunction is occurring. Women ages 20-30
have only a 1 in 1,400 chance of giving birth to a child with trisomy 21 , while women ages 30-35 have a 1 in
750 chance of giving birth to someone with trisomy 21.
22. What is a Barr body?
A barr body is an inactive mass of the x chromosomes. This inactivation provides a natural method for gene
dosage compensation of sex
chromosomes and explains why extra sex chromosomes are more easily
tolerated than extra autosomes. This is present in both females and males who have an extra x chromosome.
23. Describe Turners Syndrome:
Turner Syndrome is a syndrome where an individual has only one sex chromosome. The absence of the other
sex chromosome is demarcated by an O . So this XO individual does not have a Barr body in its nucleus. This
creates short females with broad chests with widely spaced nipples. They have low posterior hairlines and neck
webbing. Their ovaries , oviducts and uterus are small and undeveloped . These women do not go through
puberty , nor do they menstruate. Their breasts do not develop. But hormone supplements can be given to
allow them to live a normal life.
24. Describe Klinefelters Syndrome:

Klinefelters Syndrome is a syndrome where an individual has two or more x chromosomes as well as a Y
chromosome. This XXY individual does have a Barr body in its nucleus. This creates males with
underdeveloped testes and prostate gland, and lack facial hair. They may have large hands and feet , and long
legs and arms. They have increased risk of lupus , breast cancer, osteoporosis (that affect females). These
men are not sterile.
25. What happens during a deletion?
Deletion occurs when an end of a chromosome breaks lead to a loss of an internal segment. This causes
irregularities even when only one of member of the pair of chromosomes is affected.

26. What is duplication?

Duplication is a change in chromosome structure in which a particular segment is present more than once in
the same chromosome
27. What is an inversion?
An inversion is a change in the chromosome structure in which a segment of a chromosome is turned around 180; this
reversed sequence of genes can lead to altered gene activity and abnormalities
28. What is a translocation?
A translocation the a movement of a chromosomal segment from one chromosome to another non homologous chromosome,
leading to abnormalities. For example - Down syndrome or Trisomy 21.
29. Summarize Cri du chat:
Cri du chat syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused by a missing section on a particular chromosome known as
Chromosome 5. Sometimes, material from another chromosome is missing as well. Around one in every 50,000 or so babies
is diagnosed with this disorder. Infants with this condition often have a high-pitched cry that sounds like that of a cat. The
disorder is characterized by intellectual disability and delayed development, small head size (microcephaly), low birth weight,
and weak muscle tone in infancy. Affected individuals also have distinctive facial features, including widely set eyes low-set
ears, a small jaw, and a rounded face. Some children with cri-du-chat syndrome are born with a heart defect.
30. What is the Philadelphia chromosome?
Philadelphia chromosome is an abnormally small chromosome sometimes found in the leukocytes of leukaemia patients.

Do the pictures above make sense to you?

Yes, this picture does make sense to me. . Deletion is the loss of one chromosomal segment. Duplication is the
repeat of a segment. Inversion reverses a segment. While translocation moves a segment from one
chromosome to another.
What questions do you have?
Do genetics make one race more susceptible to deletion , inversion , duplication or translocation ?
Is there anything that can be done to prevent errors in meiosis ?