NESA Biology Reproduction
5 sample questions with marking guides and sample answers · Avg. score: 12.5%
Which of the following is an advantage of internal fertilisation?
Decreases the risk of gamete dehydration
Increases the number of gametes released
Increases the number of zygotes at one time
Decreases the care provided to gamete and offspring
What is a key difference between spermatogenesis and oogenesis?
Spermatogenesis produces haploid cells, whereas oogenesis produces diploid cells.
Spermatogenesis produces four functional gametes, whereas oogenesis produces one.
Spermatogenesis occurs throughout life, whereas oogenesis only occurs after puberty.
Spermatogenesis begins with haploid cells, whereas oogenesis begins with diploid cells.
Outline a process used by fungi for reproduction.
Outline an adaptation in a pathogen that facilitates transmission between hosts.
Fleece colour in sheep is determined by the alleles at an autosomal gene, where a dominant
allele (T) gives white fleece, and a recessive allele (t) gives black fleece.
Two white sheep are mated. They produce offspring with white fleece and with black fleece.
Distinguish between a dominant and a recessive allele.
Distinguish between autosomal and sex-linked alleles.
Calculate the probability of these sheep producing an offspring with black fleece. Explain
your answer.
Spider lamb syndrome (SLS) is an inherited condition in sheep. Affected animals have
abnormal spines and long, often splayed (spread out) legs. SLS is caused by a recessive
SLS allele at an autosomal gene. Outline an approach that can be used to determine
whether an unaffected individual has the SLS allele without breeding the sheep.
Body size in sheep is a polygenic trait. Explain what a polygenic trait is.
A group of biologists want to produce a line of sheep with increased resistance to fleece
rot. They could do this either by artificial selection or by transgenesis. Outline one
advantage and one disadvantage of producing this line of sheep by artificial selection
rather than transgenesis.
Artificial selection has been used for thousands of years to produce crop varieties with desirable characteristics.
Describe how artificial selection can be used to produce a crop variety with desirable characteristics and three advantages and three disadvantages of using artificial selection to produce a new crop variety.
Sexual reproduction, through the processes of meiosis and fertilisation, produces genotypic variation.
Explain the two main ways in which the process of meiosis results in variation in genotypes.