Human body cells each have 46 chromosomes in their nuclei. Meiosis is necessary in order to ensure that each gamete produced in the human body has —(2015 STAAR, Q44)
a
23 chromosomes
b
46 chromosomes
c
12 chromosomes
d
92 chromosomes
The correct answer is a) 23 chromosomes.
Meiosis is a type of cell division that occurs in the cells of the reproductive organs (ovaries and testes) in order to produce gametes (sperm and eggs). During meiosis, the number of chromosomes in the parent cells is halved, resulting in cells with half the number of chromosomes compared to the parent cells. In humans, each gamete has 23 chromosomes, which is half the number of chromosomes found in regular body cells (46 chromosomes).