Sexual reproduction

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sexual-reproduction

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the meiotic processes?Crossing over and independent assortment during meiosis generate genetic recombination and variation
2. What is the genetic diversity?The primary outcome, providing the raw material for natural selection and adaptation
3. How does a sperm and an egg become a new baby?Each cell has half the chromosomes. When they meet, they make a zygote with a full set, which grows into a new organism.
4. Why do animals use sexual reproduction instead of just copying themselves?It mixes genes from both parents, giving babies new combinations that help them survive changes in their world.

Haploid: Cells containing a single set of chromosomes, characteristic of gametes.
Diploid: Cells containing two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent, characteristic of somatic cells and zygotes.
Crossing Over: The exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes during meiosis.
Independent Assortment: The random alignment and separation of homologous chromosome pairs during meiosis.