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Animal Reproduction definitions Flashcards

Animal Reproduction definitions
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  • Gametes
    Haploid cells formed via meiosis, carrying a single set of chromosomes, essential for sexual reproduction by fusing to create a diploid zygote. Male types are sperm; female types are eggs.
  • Meiosis
    A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, creating four haploid cells, each genetically distinct from the parent cell, essential for sexual reproduction.
  • Eggs
    Large, non-motile female gametes produced in the ovaries, containing half the genetic material (haploid) necessary for sexual reproduction, and capable of being fertilized by male sperm to form a zygote.
  • Fertilization
    The process where a male sperm cell and a female egg cell merge to form a zygote, combining genetic material from both parents, resulting in a diploid cell with two sets of chromosomes.
  • Zygote
    A fertilized egg cell formed by the union of a sperm and an egg, containing two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent, marking the beginning of a new organism's development.
  • Binary Fission
    A form of asexual reproduction where a single organism divides into two genetically identical daughter cells, commonly seen in prokaryotes like bacteria.
  • Parthenogenesis
    A form of asexual reproduction where an egg develops into an organism without fertilization, resulting in offspring that are genetically identical to the mother.
  • Red Queen Hypothesis
    The hypothesis posits that organisms must continuously adapt and evolve not just for reproductive advantage but to survive against ever-evolving opposing organisms, maintaining a dynamic equilibrium.
  • Scrotum
    A skin pouch that holds the testes outside the body, maintaining an optimal temperature of around 95°F for proper sperm production, crucial for male fertility in most land mammals.
  • Seminiferous Tubules
    Coiled structures in the testes where sperm production occurs through spermatogenesis, involving the development of spermatogonia into mature spermatozoa.