CHAPTER 3: THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF LIFE

Keywords

Amino acids Mitosis,

Autosomes Mutation,
Chromosomes, Nucleotides,
Codons, Nucleus,
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), Protein synthesis,
Enzymes, Proteins,
Gametes, Recombination,
Gene, Regulatory genes,
Genome, Replication,
Homeobox genes, Ribosomes,
Hormones, RNA (ribonucleic acid),
Meiosis, Sex chromosomes,
Messenger RNA (mRNA), Somatic cells,
Mitochondria, Transfer RNA (tRNA),
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Zygotes,

Questions
1) DNA are instructions for what products and what do these products do?
DNA’s instructions are used to make proteins and proteins have different functions, helps to repair our
body and build our body ‘tissues, helps for a lot of chemical reactions such as metabolism.
2) What is the difference between DNA, gene, and chromosome?
Gene are part of DNA that this contain the code for different proteins and helps cells in our bodies, is
like a ladder, you need of each one to go to the top.
3) What kind of cell divisions are there and in what kind of cells do each occur? Which cell division is
important for evolution?
Mitosis and meiosis. Meiosis occur in eukaryotes, sex cells and mitosis in somatic cells. And meiosis is
important for evolution and also sexual reproduction.
4) There are two kinds of cells in our body. Explain what they are and which ones are important for
evolution? Why?
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic, eukaryotic are 3-dimensional structure composed, found in multicellular
organisms such as animal an important for their classification and found in their organs.
5) In protein synthesis, the process called transcription occurs where and what is it?
DNA, it is called like this because the DNA code is being copied.
6) What is the process of translation in protein synthesis?
Transcription of DNA to RNA directed by condons
7) What is messenger RNA? What is it’s function?
Is used in protein synthesis, similar to DNA, helpful to coding, decoding, regulation of genes.
8) Compare and contrast the processes and end products of mitosis and meiosis.
Mitosis occurs in the somatic cells, and meiosis in the germinal cells.
In mitosis DNA replication occurs and cell division occur one. Meiosis DNA replication occurs one and
division twice. Mitosis has four substages and meiotic division include meiosis I and meiosis II
9) What is the evolutionary significance of meiosis? (there are two)
First, the conventional view that it generates by recombination and sexual reproduction the genetic
diversity on which natural selection can act.
 Second, that recombination at meiosis plays an important role in the repair of genetic defects in germ
line cells.

10) What are gametes? Why are they important for evolution?
Sex cells each with 23 chromosomes, essential for evolution because carry the genetic information
therefore a mutation by natural selection is passed to their offspring by gametes.
11) What is a zygote?
the union between sperm+ ovum
12) When does DNA have to replicate? Hint: two instances. What is replication?
During synthesis phase of the cell cycle before the cell enters mitosis or meiosis, replication is cell has
to make exact copies of itself and divide.
13) What is a mutation? Are all mutations bad? Why are mutations important for evolution?
is a permanent change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA, are harmless except when they lead to cell
death or tumor formation, because this mutation let organisms the ability to adapt to their
environment and survive.