Which statement below correctly describes a component of sexual reproduction?(1 point)
Responses
Only dominant alleles are passed to offspring.
Only dominant alleles are passed to offspring.
One parent passes down the majority of genes an offspring will receive.
One parent passes down the majority of genes an offspring will receive.
Each parent has two alleles and they pass both down to their offspring.
Each parent has two alleles and they pass both down to their offspring.
Each parent has two alleles per trait and passes one allele to their offspring.
Each parent has two alleles per trait and passes one allele to their offspring.
Each parent has two alleles per trait and passes one allele to their offspring.
The statement that correctly describes a component of sexual reproduction is: Each parent has two alleles per trait and passes one allele to their offspring.
The correct statement that describes a component of sexual reproduction is:
"Each parent has two alleles per trait and passes one allele to their offspring."
To understand this statement, we need to first understand what alleles are. Alleles are different forms of a gene that can occur at a given locus (position) on a chromosome. They may code for different variations of a trait.
In sexual reproduction, individuals receive one set of chromosomes from each parent. Each parent contributes one allele per trait to their offspring. This is because humans (and most organisms) are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes. Therefore, they have two alleles for each trait.
During the formation of reproductive cells (sperm and egg cells), a process called meiosis occurs. Meiosis ensures that each reproductive cell receives one allele for each gene. When two reproductive cells (one from each parent) combine during fertilization, the resulting offspring receives one allele from each parent, resulting in a combination of alleles. This leads to genetic diversity and is a key characteristic of sexual reproduction.