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Explain the relationships (similarities and differences) between the following terms: monad, dyad, homologous chromosomes, heterozygous, homozygous. Explain the difference between sister chromatids held together by the centromere (the dyad) and homologous chromatids. What is the difference between being homozygous and having homologous chromosomes?

User JM At Work
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Final answer:

Homologous chromosomes are matched pairs from each parent with the same genes but possibly different alleles, while sister chromatids are identical copies joined by a centromere. Heterozygous and homozygous refer to the allele types for a particular gene. Mitosis results in two genetically identical daughter cells from a single cell.

Step-by-step explanation:

The terms 'monad', 'dyad', 'homologous chromosomes', 'heterozygous', and 'homozygous' all relate to genetics and chromosomes but describe different concepts. A monad refers to a single chromatid, while a dyad denotes a chromosome consisting of two sister chromatids held together by a centromere after DNA replication. Homologous chromosomes are paired chromosomes in a diploid organism that have the same length and gene sequence, with one coming from each parent. They are similar but not identical, as they can have different alleles of the same genes. Heterozygous refers to having two different alleles of a gene, while homozygous means having identical alleles of a gene.

Sister chromatids are identical copies of a chromosome, connected by a centromere, whereas homologous chromosomes are not identical and may carry different alleles. Being homozygous for a gene means having the same allele on both homologous chromosomes, whereas having homologous chromosomes simply means having two versions of each chromosome, one inherited from each parent.

During mitosis, the cell divides to produce two identical daughter cells, each with the same number of chromosomes as the original cell. The sister chromatids separate, but each new cell retains a complete set of chromosomes, maintaining genetic consistency.

User Gene Bogdanovich
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