Which of the following processes is responsible for producing gametes with half the number of chromosomes found in body cells?
Meiosis
Body (somatic) cells are diploid, carrying two sets of chromosomes (2n); in humans this is 46. Gametes, the sperm and egg, must be haploid (n), carrying only one set, that is 23 in humans.
Meiosis is a reduction division that takes place in the reproductive organs. One diploid cell divides twice (meiosis I and meiosis II) to form four haploid cells, each with half the chromosome number of the parent cell; these develop into gametes.
Halving is essential because at fertilization a male and a female gamete fuse to form a diploid zygote, which restores the normal chromosome number in every generation.
Fertilization is the fusion of gametes and doubles the number rather than halving it. Mitosis gives two daughter cells with the same chromosome number as the parent cell, used for growth and repair, and differentiation is the specialisation of cells for particular functions, with no change in chromosome number.
Hence, Meiosis.
Similar Questions
Which of these statements is a key idea of the cell theory?
Plants have large vacuoles that store water, while animal cells have much smaller vacuoles. If scientists want to develop crops that can survive longer during drought, which method would be most useful?
Which statement explains a key difference between mitosis and meiosis in the context of cell division?
Which organelle in a plant cell is mainly responsible for photosynthesis?
A scientist discovers a unicellular organism that lives in extreme salt and has a rigid layer around its cell membrane. Which feature would most strongly show this layer is a plant-like cell wall?
Which process explains the movement of water molecules through a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high concentration to low concentration?
Aerobic respiration mainly takes place in the ________.
A scientist is studying disfunctioning of smooth endoplasmic reticulum in animal cells. Which cellular process is most likely to be directly affected by this change?
Which of the following statements is incorrect about the fluid mosaic model?
Important Questions from Cell
Which of the following is an epithelial tissue?
I. Squamous
II. Ciliated
Cells of ______ and ______ tissues are living cells.
The process of converting ammonia into nitrates is called:
Which of the following is not true about prokaryotic cells?
Fore limbs of whale, bat, tiger and man are examples of
