What is the term for a mutation that occurs in an egg or sperm cell and is therefore passed on to every cell of the resulting offspring?
Explanation
The distinction between germline and somatic mutations is fundamental to heredity. Only germline mutations, those occurring in the cells that produce gametes, can be inherited by the next generation.
Other questions
Which process is described as reductive cell division because it produces cells with only half of the genetic content of the parent cell?
What is the primary difference between a DNA molecule and a chromatid after the S phase of the cell cycle?
Which phase of the cell cycle involves the synthesis or replication of the cell's entire genome?
What is the state of a human somatic cell (2n=46) in the G2 phase in terms of chromosome number (n) and DNA content (C)?
During which stage of mitosis do the sister chromatids separate and get pulled to opposite poles of the cell?
What critical event occurs during Prophase I of meiosis that does not occur during prophase of mitosis?
What is the outcome of oogenesis in female animals regarding the number of functional gametes produced from one primary oocyte?
What is the term for an error in meiosis or mitosis that results in an abnormal number of chromosomes, such as the gain or loss of a single chromosome?
The common seedless Cavendish banana is a triploid organism. Why does this ploidy level typically result in sterility?
What are the proteins that hold sister chromatids together after replication and are dissolved during anaphase?
According to the description of flow cytometry for measuring DNA content, a large peak of cells with a DNA content of 2C would correspond to cells in which phase of the cell cycle?
What is the primary function of the M-phase checkpoint?
In meiosis, what is the key difference between Anaphase I and Anaphase II?
A mule, the hybrid offspring of a horse (2n = 64) and a donkey (2n = 62), is infertile because it has 63 chromosomes. Why does this odd number of chromosomes lead to infertility?
If a diploid organism is 2n = 40, what is the chromosome number of its gametes?
How do male bees, which are haploid, produce sperm?
In a human cell with 2n=46, what is the total number of DNA molecules present after S phase but before M phase begins?
During which substage of Prophase I does crossing over, the exchange of genetic information between homologous pairs, occur?
What is the result of nondisjunction occurring during Meiosis I?
The mouse genome is 2n=40. What would be the chromosome number (n) and DNA content (C) in a primary spermatocyte during Prophase I?
What term describes the quiescent phase where a cell exits the cell cycle from G1 and does not divide?
What is the primary purpose of the mitotic cell cycle in multicellular organisms?
At which stage of mitosis do the chromosomes first become condensed and visible under a microscope as individual structures?
The mouse genome is 2n=40. After meiosis II is complete, what is the chromosome number (n) and DNA content (C) of a resulting spermatozoon?
What is the term for the exchange of genetic information between homologous chromosomes that occurs during Prophase I?
During oogenesis, the secondary oocyte arrests in which stage of meiosis until fertilization occurs?
What is the key difference between a germline mutation and a somatic mutation in terms of heritability?
A monohybrid cross in an organism with a recessive lethal allele, where the heterozygote shows a mutant phenotype, often results in what phenotypic ratio among the viable offspring?
For a human cell, 2n=46. How many chromosomes and how many DNA molecules would be in a cell at the end of Meiosis I?
What is the correct notation to describe the somatic cells of an octoploid strawberry, which has 8 copies of the genome and a total of 56 chromosomes?
What is the alignment of chromosomes at the equatorial plate during metaphase of mitosis?
A 'mosaic' genome, where an individual has populations of cells with different chromosome numbers, can be caused by what event?
What is the ploidy of female bees, which develop from fertilized eggs?
The most rapidly dividing eukaryotic cells take around 24 hours to divide. Approximately how much of this time is spent in the process of mitosis?
Which of the following describes the cells resulting from Meiosis II?
What is the function of polar bodies in oogenesis?
If nondisjunction occurs during Meiosis II, what will be the chromosomal makeup of the four resulting gametes?
What type of cell division is described as 'equatorial' because it results in the equal distribution of chromosomes to daughter cells?
For the human genome (2n=46), what is the chromosome number in a secondary spermatocyte?
What cellular structure, composed of microtubules, is responsible for the movement and alignment of chromosomes during mitosis?
In Down syndrome, or Trisomy 21, individuals have an extra copy of chromosome 21. This condition is an example of what type of chromosomal abnormality?
During which phase of the cell cycle do cells that are not destined to divide again, such as mature neurons, typically remain?
What is separated during Anaphase of Mitosis?
In the comparison of gametogenesis, what is a key difference between the products of meiosis in male and female animals?
In a diploid organism with 2n=16, how many chromosomes and how many chromatids are present per cell immediately following G1 phase?
Which stage of the cell cycle is a collective term for the G1, S, and G2 stages?
What is the result on the daughter cells if a cell undergoes replication but fails to undergo cytokinesis during mitosis?
During Meiosis I, the separation of homologous chromosome pairs reduces the total number of chromosomes. This division is therefore described as:
How many total daughter cells are produced from a single parent meiocyte after both Meiosis I and Meiosis II are complete?