If a diploid organism has 4 chromosomes, how many pairs of homologous chromosomes would you expect to see during early prophase I?

To determine the number of homologous chromosome pairs during early prophase I of meiosis, we first need to understand the process of meiosis and chromosome behavior.

During early prophase I of meiosis, the chromosomes condense, and homologous chromosomes pair up to form bivalents or tetrads. This pairing is known as synapsis. Each bivalent consists of two homologous chromosomes, one inherited from each parent.

In a diploid organism with 4 chromosomes, we assume that each chromosome has a homologous partner. Therefore, there would be a total of 2 homologous chromosome pairs.

It is important to note that in this case, one pair of homologous chromosomes will be inherited from one parent, while the other pair will be inherited from the other parent.

In summary, if a diploid organism has 4 chromosomes, you would expect to see 2 pairs of homologous chromosomes during early prophase I of meiosis.