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Chapter 6 Vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
somatic cell | cells that make up all the body tissues and organs, except gametes |
gamete | a haploid reproductive cell that unites with another haploid cell to form a zygote |
homologous chromosome | describes a character that is shared by a group of species because it is inherited from a common ancestor |
autosome | any chromosome that is not a sex chromosome |
sex chromosome | one of the pair of chromosomes that determines the sex of an individual |
sexual reproduction | reproduction in which gametes from two parents unite |
fertilization | the union of a male and female gamete to form a zygote |
diploid | a cell that contains two haploid sets of chromosomes |
haploid | describes a cell, nucleus, or organism that has only one set of unpaired chromosomes |
meiosis | a process in cell division during which the number of chromosomes decreases to half the original number by two divisions of the nucleus, which results in the production of sex cells (gametes and spores) |
gametogenesis | process by which gametes are produced through the combination of meiosis and other maturational changes |
sperm | male gamete |
egg | female gamete |
polar body | haploid cell produced during meiosis in the female of many species; these cells have little more than DNA and eventually disintegrate |