1. Meiosis occurs during the production of gametes_______ within the sex organs. It is a type of division that reduces the chromosome number from the _____ number to the _______ number.
2.The _______pairs of chromosomes are called________. During meiosis the homologus chromosomes separate so that each new cell will receive_____ the total number of chromosomes but one of each kind. This helps to keep the chromosome number________ from one generation to the next.
This should already be answered. I answered later posts which appear above this one.
1. Meiosis occurs during the production of gametes (sex cells) within the sex organs. It is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number from the diploid (2n) number to the haploid (n) number.
To get the answer, we need to know two key terms: diploid and haploid.
Diploid refers to cells that have two sets of chromosomes, one set inherited from each parent. In humans, the diploid number is 46 (2n=46), meaning that there are 46 chromosomes in each cell nucleus.
Haploid refers to cells that have only one set of chromosomes. In human gametes (sperm and egg cells), the haploid number is 23 (n=23), meaning that there are 23 chromosomes in each gamete.
During meiosis, the diploid parent cell undergoes two rounds of division, resulting in four haploid daughter cells. This reduction in chromosome number is important for sexual reproduction, as it ensures that when gametes fuse during fertilization, the resulting zygote will have the correct diploid number of chromosomes (46 in humans).
2. The homologous pairs of chromosomes are called homologous chromosomes. During meiosis, these homologous chromosomes separate (one from each pair) so that each new cell will receive half the total number of chromosomes but one of each kind.
To answer this question, we need to know what homologous chromosomes are and why they separate during meiosis.
Homologous chromosomes are pairings of chromosomes that have the same genes in the same order but may have different alleles (versions of genes). In humans, there are 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes, totaling 46 chromosomes in a diploid cell. These pairs are numbered from 1 to 22, with the 23rd pair being the sex chromosomes (X and Y in humans).
During meiosis, homologous chromosomes separate during the first division, called meiosis I. This separation ensures that each new cell receives only one chromosome from each homologous pair. This process, known as independent assortment, helps to create genetic diversity among the gametes.
So, during meiosis, each new cell (resulting from meiosis I) will have half the total number of chromosomes, but it will still have one of each kind (one chromosome from each homologous pair). This maintains the correct chromosome number in sexually reproducing organisms and helps to keep the chromosome number stable from one generation to the next.