Chapter 8

If an intestinal cell in a grasshopper contains 24 chromosomes, then a grasshopper sperm cell contains _____ chromosomes. a. 6 b. 12 c. 24 d. 48

Which of the following is not a function of mitosis in humans? a. repair of wounds b. growth c. production of gametes from diploid cells d. replacement of lost or damaged cells

It is difficult to observe individual chromosomes during interphase because a. the DNA has not been replicated yet. b. they are in the form of long, thin strands. c. they leave the nucleus and are dispersed to other parts of the cell. d. homologous chromosomes do not pair up until division starts.

If a fragment of a chromosome breaks off and then reattaches to the original chromosome but in the reverse direction, the resulting chromosomal abnormality is called a. a deletion. b. an inversion. c. a translocation. d. a nondisjunction.

Which of the following phases of mitosis is essentially the opposite of prophase in terms of changes within the nucleus? a. telophase b. metaphase c. interphase d. anaphase

A micrograph of a dividing cell from a mouse showed 19 chromosomes, each consisting of two sister chromatids. During which of the following stages of cell division could such a picture have been taken? (Explain your answer.) a. prophase of mitosis b. telophase II of meiosis c. prophase I of meiosis d. prophase II of meiosis

Cytochalasin \(\mathrm{B}\) is a chemical that disrupts microfilament formation. This chemical would interfere with a. DNA replication. b. formation of the mitotic spindle. c. cleavage. d. formation of the cell plate.

An organism called a plasmodial slime mold is one large cytoplasmic mass with many nuclei. Explain how such a "megacell" could form.

Briefly describe how three different processes that occur during a sexual life cycle increase the genetic diversity of offspring.

Discuss the factors that control the division of eukaryotic cells grown in the laboratory. Cancer cells are easier to grow in the lab than other cells. Why do you suppose this is?

Compare cytokinesis in plant and animal cells. In what ways are the two processes similar? In what ways are they different?

Suppose you read in the newspaper that a genetic engineering laboratory has developed a procedure for fusing two gametes from the same person (two eggs or two sperm) to form a zygote. The article mentions that an early step in the procedure prevents crossing over from occurring during the formation of the gametes in the donor's body. The researchers are in the process of determining the genetic makeup of one of their new zygotes. Which of the following predictions do you think they would make? Justify your choice, and explain why you rejected each of the other choices. a. The zygote would have 46 chromosomes, all of which came from the gamete donor (its one parent), so the zygote would be genetically identical to the gamete donor. b. The zygote could be genetically identical to the gamete donor, but it is much more likely that it would have an unpredictable mixture of chromosomes from the gamete donor's parents. c. The zygote would not be genetically identical to the gamete donor, but it would be genetically identical to one of the donor's parents. d. The zygote would not be genetically identical to the gamete donor, but it would be genetically identical to one of the donor's grandparents.

Bacteria are able to divide on a faster schedule than eukaryotic cells. Some bacteria can divide every 20 minutes, while the minimum time required by eukaryotic cells in a rapidly developing embryo is about once per hour, and most cells divide much less often. than that. State at least two testable hypotheses explaining why bacteria can divide at a faster rate than eukaryotic cells.

Red blood cells, which carry oxygen to body tissues, live for only about 120 days. Replacement cells are produced by cell division in bone marrow. How many cell divisions must occur each second in your bone marrow just to replace red blood cells? Here is some information to use in calculating your answer: There are about 5 million red blood cells per cubic millimeter \(\left(\mathrm{mm}^{3}\right)\) of blood. An average adult has about \(5 \mathrm{~L}\left(5,000 \mathrm{~cm}^{3}\right)\) of blood. (Hint: What is the total number of red blood cells in the body? What fraction of them must be replaced each day if all are replaced in 120 days?)

A mule is the offspring of a horse and a donkey. A donkey sperm contains 31 chromosomes and a horse egg cell contains 32 chromosomes, so the zygote contains a total of 63 chromosomes. The zygote develops normally. The combined set of chromosomes is not a problem in mitosis, and the mule combines some of the best characteristics of horses and donkeys. However, a mule is sterile; meiosis cannot occur normally in its testes (or ovaries). Explain why mitosis is normal in cells containing both horse and donkey chromosomes but the mixed set of chromosomes interferes with meiosis.

What you think of as "a banana" is a Cavendish, one variety of the species Musa acuminate. It is a triploid organism \((3 n)\) with three sets of chromosomes in every somatic cell. The Cavendish cannot be naturally bred; it can only be reproduced by cloning. Explain how its triploid state accounts for its inability to form normal gametes. Discuss how the lack of sexual reproduction might make the species particularly vulnerable to a new pest.