Which of the following would be the most sigificant between mitosis and meiosis?
A. Chromosomes are duplicated before mitosis
B. Meiosis is not followed by cytokinesis
C. Homologous Pairs of chromosomes are split up in meiosis.
D. Crossing over occurs in mitosis.
So far i got it down to A & C. I know d and b are wrong.If you can provide an explanation to why either A or C is right it would be greatly appreciated.
A. Chromosomes are not split in meiosis. Half go to one cell and half to the other, giving you a haploid number of chromosomes.
To determine which option is the most significant difference between mitosis and meiosis, let's break down the options and analyze each one:
A. Chromosomes are duplicated before mitosis: This is a correct statement about mitosis. Before mitosis occurs, DNA replication takes place, which results in the duplication of chromosomes. This duplication ensures that the daughter cells produced during mitosis receive the same genetic information as the parent cell.
C. Homologous pairs of chromosomes are split up in meiosis: This is also a correct statement about meiosis. Meiosis is the process of cell division that occurs in gametes (sperm and egg cells). During meiosis, homologous pairs of chromosomes separate and are distributed to different daughter cells, resulting in genetic variation among the offspring.
Now, let's evaluate the significance of each statement:
A. Chromosomes are duplicated before mitosis: While this is an essential step in ensuring genetic fidelity in mitosis, it is a common occurrence in many other cellular processes as well. Chromosome duplication occurs in both mitosis and meiosis to maintain the integrity of the genetic material. Consequently, chromosomes are replicated in preparation for both mitosis and meiosis. Although important, this statement does not capture a unique characteristic of either mitosis or meiosis.
C. Homologous pairs of chromosomes are split up in meiosis: This statement highlights a distinct and significant difference between mitosis and meiosis. In meiosis, homologous chromosomes, one from each parent, align and subsequently separate in order to create genetically diverse offspring. This process is called crossing over, which promotes genetic recombination and is responsible for the unique combinations of genes found in gametes. Homologous chromosome separation only occurs during meiosis and not during mitosis. Thus, this statement represents a more significant difference between the two processes.
Therefore, the correct answer is C. Homologous pairs of chromosomes are split up in meiosis, as this represents a significant distinction between mitosis and meiosis that is not present in option A.