PERPETUATION OF

LIFE
REPRODUCTION
- process through which parents pass on their genes to their
offspring.

Sexual Reproduction
Involves the union of gametes

Asexual Reproduction
Offspring are produced without the
union of gametes
Sexual Reproduction in
Plants
 Angiosperms (flowering plants)
 Plantsthat protect their seeds within the
body of a fruit.
 Make up ¾’s of all plants, including:
Trees, shrubs, herbs,

grasses, water plants…

 Structure of a Flower

stigma
pistil Pedicel (Sepal)
stamen anther Style
style
Ovule

filament Ovary
ovary
Pistil
Anther
Filament
Stamen
Petal

petal
sepal
Male Reproductive Structure

 The stamen consists of two parts: Anther

and Filament
 The anther is where meiosis occurs to
produce haploid pollen
 The filament is a stalk that supports the
anther
Female Reproductive Structure
 The pistil consists of
the stigma, style and
ovary
 The sticky stigma
receives the pollen
from the anther
 The pollen grows a
tube down through the
style
 Meiosis occurs in the
ovary to produce
haploid ovules
Asexual Reproduction in
Plants
Natural vegetative Reproduction
 Bulbs Rhizomes

 Tubers Stolons
Artificial Vegetative Reproduction
 Stem cutting
 Grafting and budding
 Tissue culture/micropropagation
Animal Reproduction
Sexual Reproduction in Animals
Asexual Reproduction in Animals

 Budding
 Fragmentation
 Parthenogenesis
The Molecular Basis of Inheritance
G C

A T

T A

1 nm

G C
3.4 nm
C G

A T

C G

T A

T A

A T

A T

G C
0.34 nm
A T

Figure 16.7a, c (a) Key features of DNA structure (c) Space-filling model
1962: Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine
Watson, J.D. and F.H. Crick, “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure
for Deoxynucleic Acids”. Nature 171 (1953), p. 738.

James D. Francis H.Maurice H. F.

Watson Crick Wilkins

What about?
Rosalind Franklin
The Transfer of Genetic Information
The Importance of RNA in Protein Synthesis
Three kinds of RNA:
 Messenger RNA (mRNA) – carries the information
from the DNA
 Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) – provides mechanism for
decoding mRNA
 Transfer RNA (rRNA) – the key for deciphering the
code in mRNA
Central Dogma
 Replication
 DNA molecule is copied in a process of zipping and unzipping
facilitated by enzymes and proteins.
 Replicated genes are transcribed in an RNA
 Transcription
 The genetic information or code is copied into a messenger RNA
(mRNA).
 Translation
 The actual synthesis of protein using the codes transcribed in the
mRNA as template.
 The conversion of the genetic information from the RNA into a protein
molecule.
The Structure of DNA
 DNA is composed
of four
nucleotides,
each containing:

adenine,
cytosine,
thymine, or
guanine.
Phenylketonuria (PKU)

 People with PKU do not

have the enzyme needed
to process the amino
acid phenylalanine. This
causes a buildup of
phenylalanine which is
toxic to the brain.
Genetic Engineering
Benefits of GMOs

 Improved economy and food security.

 Protect crops against damage caused by
insect/pests.
 Increased nutritive value of crops.
 Enable crops to survive high soil salinity and to
adapt to extreme weather condition.
 Protect crops against herbicides.
The Risks of Using GMOs
 The American Public Health Association opposed the use
of GM bovine growth hormone due to the addition of an
insulin-like growth factor (IGH-1) which is linked to
cancer.
 Natural cross-pollination of GM seeds.
 Population of monarch butterflies has decreased by half
due to the poisoning of the milkweed they feed on.
 Increased herbicide usage.
 GMOs were linked to gluten disorders affecting 18 million
Americans.