Question

1. What are some different ways that copies of DNA can be passed along? Compare the transfer of DNA in bacterium to the transfer of DNA in a species that uses sexual reproduction. How do the offspring compare to the parents?

2. What are the risks of cloning versus the advantages of the genetic variety created by sexual reproduction? What is the cost of sexual reproduction?

3. How many sperm are produced by the average human male each second/day/lifetime?

4. What process is used to make sperm cells and egg cells?

5. When does a human female produce her eggs?

6. Where do eggs mature before they are released? How many eggs does the average human female release per month?

7. Describe the path taken by the egg once it is released from the ovary. How does the egg move?

8. Where does the fallopian tube lead to?

Answer 1

DNA can be passed through asexual reproduction methods like binary fission and sexual reproduction, involving the combination of haploid gametes to form a genetically diverse diploid zygote. The average male produces millions of sperm daily, while women produce eggs during fetal development, with typically one egg maturing per month.

Step-by-step explanation:

Copies of DNA can be passed along in several ways. In asexual reproduction, a single organism can produce offspring that are genetically identical to itself. The process includes methods like binary fission, budding, and fragmentation. Contrastingly, in sexual reproduction, which involves gametes (sperm and eggs), the genetic material is combined from two parents to produce genetically diverse offspring. For example, bacteria can exchange DNA through mechanisms such as transformation, where they uptake foreign DNA from the environment.

In sexual reproduction, gametes are haploid cells (containing one set of chromosomes) that combine to form a diploid zygote (containing two sets of chromosomes). This is essential, as it maintains the species' chromosome number through generations. Meiosis, the process of cell division producing gametes, ensures this, leading to gametes being haploid.

The average human male produces millions of sperm each day through meiosis which continues throughout his life. On the other hand, a human female produces her eggs through meiosis during fetal development. Typically, one egg matures and is released from the ovary per menstrual cycle. Once released, the egg is transported through the fallopian tube towards the uterus, propelled by the ciliary action and muscular contractions of the tube's lining.