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Edexcel IGCSE Biology: Topic 3: Reproduction and Inheritance
Edexcel IGCSE Biology: Topic 3: Reproduction and Inheritance
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Reproduction
Sexual and asexual reproduction (3.1 and 3.2)
The advantages of sexual reproduction are the disadvantages of asexual reproduction and vice
versa.
Advantages of sexual reproduction Advantages of asexual
reproduction
Fertilisation involves the fusion of a male and female gamete to produce a zygote that
undergoes cell division and develops into an embryo.
Petals Large and bright to attract insects Small and dull - usually green or brown
Pollen Sticky and in moderate amounts Smooth and light so they can be easily
grains carried in the wind and in large amounts
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to make sure some reach other flowers
Anthers Inside flower, stiff and attached so Outside flower, loose on long filaments
that insects can brush past so that pollen can be released easily
Stigma Inside flower, sticky so pollen grains Outside flower, feather so forms network
stick to it when an insect brushes past to catch pollen grains drifting in the wind
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Method:
1) Set up 4 boiling tubes with 10 cress seeds in each, sitting on cotton wool
2) Tube A should have dry cotton wool and kept at 20°C
3) Tube B should have moist cotton wool and kept at 20°C
4) Tube C should have boiled water that has been cooled, covered with a layer of oil and
kept at 20°C
5) Tube D should have moist cotton wool but is kept at lower temperature (4°C)
The results will show that seeds germinate in test tube B only because it has the water,
temperature and oxygen required for germination. Tube A does not have water, the oil in tube C
does not allow for oxygen and tube D is not kept at optimum temperature.
Germinating seeds
Structure Description
Food store Starch for the plant to use until it is able to carry out photosynthesis
Asexual reproduction
● Asexual reproduction produces clones as it only involved on parent, unlike sexual
reproduction.
● Natural: Runners
○ E.g. strawberry plants
○ Grow horizontally over soil surface and put down roots to form new plants
● Artificially: Cuttings
○ Tissue samples scraped from parent plant and then placed in agar growth
medium with nutrients and auxins
○ The sample develop into plantlets and these are planted into compost to grow
further
Testis Contained in scrotum (bag of skin) and produces sperm and testosterone
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Penis Passes urine and semen out of the body
Urethra Tube inside the penis to carry urine or semen. A ring of muscle inside stops
the two mixing.
Ovary Contains ova (female gametes) which develop when FSH is released
Oviduct Connects ovary to the uterus and is lined with ciliated cells that push the
ovum towards the uterus for fertilisation
Cervix Ring of muscle at lower end of uterus to ensure foetus remains in place
during pregnancy
Menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle last 28 days and the egg is usually released on day 14 (ovulation).
Oestrogen
● Oestrogen causes thickening of the uterus in
preparation for implantation of an egg
● Levels peak on day 10 and then begin to fall
Progesterone
● Progesterone maintains the thick lining of
uterus
● Inhibits the release of LH and FSH
● The egg matures on day 14 and progesterone
starts increasing after this until it reaches its
peak 3 days later
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If the egg is not fertilised progesterone levels fall and the uterus lining breaks down in a period
that lasts for around 5 days
Developing embryo
The placenta allows diffusion of glucose, oxygen and amino acids from the mother’s blood to
the developing foetus for growth. Carbon dioxide and urea from the foetus are passed into the
mother’s blood to be removed. It also takes over the production of progesterone.
Amniotic fluid is a liquid contained in a bag (amnion) in the uterus that surrounds the foetus. It
protects the foetus and cushions any rough movement. When labour begins the amnion breaks
and the fluid comes out - often known as a woman’s ‘water breaking’.
Inheritance
Genetic definitions (3.14-3.15, 3.19-3.21B, 3.23)
Key genetic definitions
Gamete An organism’s reproductive cell (egg in female and sperm in males),
which has half the number of chromosomes (23).
Gene A short section of DNA that codes for a protein, and therefore contribute
to a characteristic.
Some characteristics are controlled by a single gene, such as fur colour in
mice and red-green colour blindness in humans. However, most
characteristics are the result of many different genes interacting.
Allele/variant The different forms of the gene - humans have two alleles for each gene
as they inherit one from each parent.
Dominant allele Only one (out of the two alleles) is needed for it to be expressed and for
the corresponding phenotype to be observed.
Recessive allele Two copies are needed for it to be expressed and for the corresponding
the phenotype to be observed.
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Homozygous When both inherited alleles are the same (i.e. two dominant alleles or two
recessive alleles).
Heterozygous When one of the inherited alleles is dominant and the other is recessive.
Phenotype The physical characteristics that are observed in the individual, e.g. eye
colour. Phenotypic features are the result of polygenic (multiple genes)
inheritance rather than single genes
Codominance When neither allele is dominant over the other, so both contribute to
the phenotype
E.g. a white chicken and a black chicken can have offspring that are
speckled so the hen is codominant
DNA (3.16B-3.18B)
DNA structure
● DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid
● It is a double helix made from 2 strands that have twisted around each other.
● It is a polymer, meaning that it is made of many different molecules that join up to
make a long strand: in the case of DNA these molecules are called nucleotides.
● Each nucleotide is made from one sugar molecule, one phosphate group (which
forms the backbone) and one of the four different organic bases
○ The 4 bases are A, C, G, T.
○ These nucleotides pair by complementary base pairing, meaning that only
certain bases can join together: C joins to G and A joins to T
● Each group of three bases codes for an amino acid and these then join together to
make a protein
● Chromosomes are structures made up of long molecules of DNA.
Protein synthesis
DNA is too large to leave the nucleus in order to make the proteins and therefore a series
of steps must be taken to copy and transport the genetic information.
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5) At the ribosomes, the bases on the mRNA are read in threes to code for an amino
acid (the first three bases code for one amino acid, the second three bases code
for another etc). This is called translation.
6) The corresponding amino acids are brought to the ribosomes by carrier
molecules.
7) These amino acids connect together to form a protein. It is therefore the triplet
code of bases that determines which protein is produced and therefore expressed.
8) When the chain is complete the protein folds to form a unique 3D structure.
Sex determination
Human body cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes.
● 22 control characteristics, and the chromosomes in each pair look very similar
● The 23rd pair carries sex determining genes, and the two chromosomes can look
different to each other (Y chromosomes are much smaller than X chromosomes)
The two possible chromosomes in the 23rd pair are X chromosomes and Y chromosomes.
When cells undergo meiosis to form a gamete, one sex
chromosome goes into each gamete.
● Females have two X chromosomes, so therefore only pass
on X chromosomes in their eggs.
● Males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome,
so therefore can pass on X or Y chromosomes in their
sperm.
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Mitosis (3.28 and 3.29)
Mitosis is a type of cell division where one cell divides to form two identical daughter cells. The
cell cycle is a series of steps that the cell has to undergo in order to do this.
Stage 1 (Interphase)
● The cell grows as organelles (such as ribosome and mitochondria) grow and increase in
number
● The synthesis of proteins occurs
● All 46 chromosomes are replicated (forming the characteristic ‘X’ shape)
● Energy stores are increased
Stage 2
● The chromosomes line up at the equator of the cell
● Spindle fibres pull each chromosome of the ‘X’ to either side (poles) of the cell.
Stage 3
● Two identical daughter cells form when the cytoplasm and cell membranes divide, each
containing the same 46 chromosomes as the original cell.
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chromosomes. As they have half of the normal amount of chromosomes they are called
haploid.
These cells are called gametes and they are all genetically different from each other because
the chromosomes are shuffled during the process, resulting in random chromosomes ending up
in each of the four cells.
Variation (3.31-3.33)
Genetic variation is the difference in DNA sequences of individuals within the same species.
Random fertilisation increases genetic variation between offspring as each gamete has variation
due to meiosis and the fusing of the egg and sperm is random.
Variation within a species can be genetic, environmental or a mixture of both:
● Genetic variation would be eye colour, blood type etc as these phenotypes are
dependent on inheriting alleles from parents.
● Environmental variation is caused by differences in lifestyle, diet, climate etc. which
could lead to organisms to adapt. An example of this would be how white moths adapted
to be darker in more polluted areas.
● Genetics and environment can interact, such as with height. A child might have the
potential to grow tall, due to their genetics, but if they are malnourished and do not well
or enough then they will not grow as much.
Mutations (3.34-3.39)
Mutations are rare, random change in genetic material that can be inherited.
All variants (alleles) are caused by mutation. Most of these mutations have no effect on
the phenotype, as most of DNA is non-coding and therefore does not cause a change in
any proteins. However, some do have a small influence on phenotype and very few can
have a significant effect if they are in coding regions.
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Mutations can occur more frequently due to:
● Exposure to ionising radiation (for example, gamma rays, x-rays and ultraviolet
rays)
● Exposure to chemical mutagens (e.g. chemicals in tobacco)
These mutations can lead to uncontrollable growth, which causes a tumour. Therefore
mutagens like chemicals in tobacco are called carcinogens (cancer-causing).
Darwin
Evolution:a change in the inherited characteristics of a population over time through a process
of natural selection which may result in the formation of a new species.
Natural selection: the process by which new species arise from existing species.
● Mutations occur which provide variation between organisms.
● If a mutation provides a survival advantage the organism is more likely to survive to
breeding age (survival of the fittest)
● The mutation will then be passed onto offspring.
● Over many generations, the frequency of the mutation will increase within the population
Within a population there is usually a large amount of genetic variation between individuals of
the same species. This natural variation occurs through small mutations that have occurred
throughout time. For example, we can see that within a particular breed of dog there are slightly
different coat colours and patternings due to random mutations.
This may cause one population of a species to become so different that they can no longer
interbreed to produce fertile offspring. This means they have become a new species. This is
called speciation.
Exposure to antibiotics creates a selection pressure, as those with antibiotic resistant genes
survive and those without die. As a result those with antibiotic resistance can reproduce and
pass on the advantageous gene to their offspring and so the population of antibiotic resistant
bacteria increases.
An example is the MRSA ‘superbug’ that is resistant to many different types of antibiotics. It is
found in hospitals as it spreads when doctors and nurses move between different patients.
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