CELL REPRODUCTION OPEN RESPONSE

Sarah and her biological sister Danielle have some physical characteristics that are the same and some that are different, as shown in the table below.

Name: Sarah. Danielle
Eye Color: blue brown
Natural Hair Color: light brown dark brown
Ring Finger Length: shorter than index shorter than index
Skin Tone: olive olive

Identify the molecule that stores the hereditary information for these characteristics in the chromosomes of every body cell.

Identify the total number of chromosomes that should be in one of Sarah’s body cells and the number of chromosomes that should have been contributed by each biological parent.

Explain the roles of meiosis and fertilization in achieving the chromosome numbers you identified in part (b).

Explain why Sarah and Danielle have some physical characteristics that are different from each other, even though they have the same biological parents.

2. Sharks typically reproduce sexually. A particular female shark, however, gave birth in a zoo despite having no recent contact with a male shark.

Identify the type of cell division that produces eggs and sperm in animals such as sharks.

Describe what normally happens during fertilization in animals such as sharks. Be sure to identify the end product of fertilization.

Female sharks can store sperm after mating and then wait to fertilize their eggs. Scientists investigated whether the female shark in the zoo did this.

Describe how DNA analysis can determine if the shark reproduced using stored sperm or if she reproduced asexually. Be sure to include the source(s) of DNA being analyzed and the results of the analysis in your answer.