Homework help: Urgent

[Wing44]

Hi,

 

i have been needing some help in Genetics. More to do with the processes if mitosis and meiosis.

 

I have these 2 questions which i am unable to find answers for. Please help me.

The questions are as follow:

 

Explain why mitosis would not be able to produce functional sperm or egg cells

 

Discuss how meiosis produces this variation and why this is important.

 

Thanks:D

[Fuzzwood]

What is the definition of a propagation cell? What does mitosis do? Is there a significant difference?

[Sataure]

Mitosis produces 2n identicals of the original cells, incapable of fertilization.

 

Meiosis produces variation through the 'crossing over' stage of synapsis during metaphase I believe. It is important because it allows for evolution and perpetuation of a species to occur through producing genetically different offspring.

 

This is elementary stuff... there are tones of books with this information in it.

[Fuzzwood]

Ok, now about the chromosomes, think about it

[Dc Nilbog]

To elaborate from what Sataure said, for the second question; to get the big picture, you would need to read through topics such as 'survival of the fittest' (Darwin's Theory). There are other factors that would describe variation in meiosis (such as random assortment and pairing, selection of mates, gene flow, random genetic drift). To get the full picture you would have to study much much more.

 

 

I hope this comment helped,

 

Dc Nilbog