Fertilization occurs when a sperm cell fuses with an egg cell. If each gamete contains 23 chromosomes, how many chromosomes would the zygote, a fertilized cell, contain?
The correct answer is 46 chromosomes. When a sperm cell (with 23 chromosomes) fuses with an egg cell (with 23 chromosomes), the resulting zygote will have a total of 46 chromosomes. The zygote receives half of its chromosomes from each parent.
