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Edexcel Biology GCSE - Reproduction, the Genome, and Gene Expression Part 2

Biology25 CardsCreated about 1 month ago

This deck covers key concepts related to reproduction, the genome, and gene expression, including definitions, processes, and the Human Genome Project.

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Polymer | def

A large molecule formed from many identical smaller molecules known as monomers
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Key Terms

Term
Definition
Polymer | def
A large molecule formed from many identical smaller molecules known as monomers
Protein | def
Organic compound made up of amino acid molecules. One of the three main food groups, proteins are needed by the body for cell growth and repair
Protein synthesis | def
The production of proteins from amino acids, which happens in the ribosomes of the cell.
Ribosome | def
The site of protein synthesis
Sexual reproduction | def
The formation of a new organism by combining the genetic material of two organisms
Species | def
A type of organism that is the basic unit of classification. Individuals of different species are not able to interbreed successfully
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Edexcel Biology GCSE - Reproduction, the Genome, and Gene Expression Part 2
TermDefinition
Polymer | def
A large molecule formed from many identical smaller molecules known as monomers
Protein | def
Organic compound made up of amino acid molecules. One of the three main food groups, proteins are needed by the body for cell growth and repair
Protein synthesis | def
The production of proteins from amino acids, which happens in the ribosomes of the cell.
Ribosome | def
The site of protein synthesis
Sexual reproduction | def
The formation of a new organism by combining the genetic material of two organisms
Species | def
A type of organism that is the basic unit of classification. Individuals of different species are not able to interbreed successfully
Variation | def
Difference between individuals, distance from the norm
Zygote | def
A fertilised egg cell.
What is sexual reproduction?
Sexual reproduction involves the joining of two sex cells, or gametes during fertilisation. Organisms produced by sexual reproduction have two parents and are genetically similar to both but not identical to either.
The advantages of sexual reproduction:
it produces variation in the offspring the species can adapt to new environments due to variation, which gives them a survival advantage a disease is less likely to affect all the individuals in a population humans can speed up natural selection through selective breeding, which can be used, for example, to increase food production.
The disadvantages of sexual reproduction:
time and energy are needed to find a mate | - it is not possible for an isolated individual
What is asexual reproduction?
Asexual reproduction only involves one parent so there is no joining of sex cells during fertilisation. Organisms produced by asexual reproduction are genetically identical to each other and their parent. They are clones.
The advantages of asexual reproduction include:
the population can increase rapidly when the conditions are favourable only one parent is needed it is more time and energy efficient as you don't need a mate it is faster than sexual reproduction.
The disadvantages of asexual reproduction include:
it does not lead to variation in a population the species may only be suited to one habitat disease may affect all the individuals in a population
Name the 2 types of cell division and what they do. | overview/basic
There are two types of cell division called mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis produces identical diploid body cells for growth and repair. Meiosis produces haploid non-identical sex cells, or gametes. These fuse to form a diploid fertilised egg cell during fertilisation.
What does meiosis produce?
Meiosis produces sperm and egg cells in animals, and pollen and egg cells in plants.
Describe the process of meiosis.
During cell meiosis, the nuclear divisions that occur in two sets of chromosomes (one from each parent) result in the formation of four sex cells. 1) there is a parent cell 2) Chromosomes make identical copies of themselves 3) Similar chromosomes pair up 4) Sections of DNA get swapped 5) Pairs of chromosomes divide 6) Chromosomes divide
Describe the process of mitosis.
During cell mitosis, the nucleus of a “parent” cell divides into two new nuclei. Each one has the same number of chromosomes the parent cell’s nucleus had. 1) Chromosomes in nucleus are copied 2) The chromosomes are pulled apart and moved towards poles 3) Chromosomes separate 4) cells divide
DNA | detailed
The genetic material in the nucleus of a cell is made up of a chemical called DNA. DNA is a polymer, made of many smaller units called nucleotides. A nucleotide is made of a sugar and a phosphate group, with one of four different bases, A, C, T or G, attached. The nucleotides join together, forming two strands. These, in turn, form a double helix structure. The double helix is held together by weak hydrogen bonding between complementary base pairs. Base A always pairs with T, and C always pairs with G forming a twisted ladder structure called a double helix. It carries the genetic code, which determines the characteristics of a living organism.
Genome | detailed definition
The genome is one copy of all an organism's DNA. In humans this is all the DNA that makes up the 23 pairs of chromosomes found in all diploid body cells. That is all the cells except sex cells or gametes, which only have half of a person's genome.
What was the human genome project and what were its aims?
The Human Genome Project, or HGP for short, was started at the end of the last century. It was very ambitious and had several aims, including: to work out the order or sequence of all the three billion base pairs in the human genome to identify all the genes to develop faster methods for sequencing DNA
What did the human genome project do?
The sequencing project was finished in 2001, and work continues to identify all the genes in the human genome. The HGP used the DNA of several people to get a sort of average sequence, but each person has a unique sequence (unless they have an identical twin).
What are the results of the human genome project used for?
Mapping of a person's genome can help in predicting how likely they are to develop certain conditions. Scientists and doctors are also now beginning to use the information they have discovered in the HGP to help make more effective medicines as the effectiveness of medicines can be affected by variations in alleles.
Discovery of the structure of DNA
James Watson and Francis Crick worked out the structure of DNA in 1953. By using data from other scientists (Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins) they were able to build a model of DNA. The X-ray crystallography data they used showed that DNA consists of two strands coiled into a double helix.
What is DNA made of?
DNA is a polymer made from four different nucleotides. These are arranged in a repeating fashion. Each nucleotide consists of alternating sugar and phosphate sections with one of the four different bases attached to the sugar.