If one incorrect sex cells combined with a normal sexual cell at fertilization , what would the effect on the chromosome number in the resulting offspring?

Join Now
x

rowseNotessearch

HOMEWORK HELP > SCIENCE

Why must there be a reduction in the number of chromosomes in some stages of the life cycle?

print Print 

document PDF 

list Cite

Expert Answers

TROPHYHUNTER1 | CERTIFIED EDUCATOR

Meiosis is a reduction division that is necessary in sexually reproducing organisms to maintain the species number of chromosomes. Gametes, or sex cells must have half the chromosomes that the parent cell has. At fertilization, two gametes fuse together to form the offspring. If these gametes had the same number of chromosomes as the parent does, each generation would have double the chromosomes as the previous generation did. To prevent that, meiosis occurs in the gonads--ovaries or testes. If the ovary or teste cell is diploid(2n), the gametes or sex cells--sperm and eggs will be haploid(n)after meiosis occurs. For example, if a human teste or ovary cell has 46 chromosomes, replication occurs. The result will be 46 pairs or 92 chromosomes. Meiosis has two rounds of cell division--meiosis I and II. After meiosis I takes place, two daughter cells, each with 46 chromosomes are the result. After meiosis II occurs, each of these daughter cells divides and four haploid cells are the result. In this example, they will each have 23 chromosomes or the haploid amount. These can be used as gametes--sperm or egg cells during sexual reproduction. In the case of males, all four haploid cells will develop into sperm. In the case of females, only one becomes the ova or egg cell, and the other three are called polar bodies