This diagram shows an animal cell in meiosis I during crossing over and synapsis. A single tetrad is shown with a pair of homologous chromosomes that have been duplicated as sister chromatids. Red chromosomes indicate maternal DNA, and blue chromosomes indicate paternal DNA.

Question

This diagram shows an animal cell in meiosis I during crossing over and synapsis. A single tetrad is shown with a pair of homologous chromosomes that have been duplicated as sister chromatids. Red chromosomes indicate maternal DNA, and blue chromosomes indicate paternal DNA.

Use the passage to answer the question.

Once the animal cell has completed meiosis II:

half of the gametes will contain recombinant chromosomes.

none of the gametes will contain recombinant chromosomes.

all of the gametes will contain maternal DNA.

all of the gametes will contain paternal DNA.

Answer 1

The correct answer is: half of the gametes will contain recombinant chromosomes.

During crossing over in meiosis I, the maternal and paternal chromosomes exchange genetic material, resulting in new combinations of alleles on each chromatid. These new combinations are called recombinant chromosomes. As a result of meiosis II, the two chromatids of each chromosome separate, and each gamete receives one chromatid. Therefore, half of the gametes will contain recombinant chromosomes, as they will inherit one of the sister chromatids from different homologous chromosomes.