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Multiple Choice
During meiosis, how many chromosomes does a human gamete have?
A
69
B
23
C
46
D
92
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in the production of gametes (sperm and egg cells).
Recall that human somatic cells (non-reproductive cells) have 46 chromosomes, which are organized into 23 pairs.
During meiosis, these 46 chromosomes are divided in such a way that each gamete receives only one chromosome from each pair.
This reduction in chromosome number is crucial for maintaining the species-specific chromosome number across generations when two gametes fuse during fertilization.
Therefore, each human gamete contains 23 chromosomes, which is half the number of chromosomes found in somatic cells.