Term | Definition |
asexual reproduction | a type of reproduction-fission, budding, and regeneration-in which a new organism is produced from one organism and has DNA identical to the parent organism |
chromosome | structure in a cell's nucleus that contains hereditary material |
diploid | cell whose similar chromosomes occur in pairs |
DNA | deoxyribnucleic acid; the genetic material of all organisms; made up of two twisted strands of sugar phosphate molecules and nitrogen bases |
egg | haploid sex cell formed in the female reproduction, the joining of a sperm and egg |
fertilization | in sexual reproduction, the joining of a sperm and egg |
gene | section of DNA on a chromosome that contains instructions for making specific proteins |
haploid | cell that has half the number of chromosomes as body cells |
meiosis | reproductive process that produces four haploid sex cells from one diploid cell and ensures offspring will have the same number of chromosomes as the parent organisms |
mitosis | cell process in which the nucleus divides to form two nuclei identical to each other and identical to the original nucleus in a series of steps |
mutation | any permanent change in a gene or chromosome or a cell; may be beneficial, harmful, or have little effect on an organism |
RNA | ribonucleic acid; a type of nucleic acid that carries codes for making proteins from the nucleus to the ribosomes |
sexual reproduction | a type of reproduction in which two sex cells, usually an egg and a sperm, join to form a zygote, which will develop into a new organism with a unique identity |
sperm | haploid sex cell formed in male reproductive organs |
zygote | new diploid cell formed when a sperm fertilizes an egg; it will divide by mitosis and develop into a new organism |