Multiple Choice
What is the best description of the structure of a chromosome in the nucleus of a non-dividing cell?
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3. Energy & Cell Processes
Organization of DNA in the Cell
1:55 minutesProblem 8
Textbook Question
Our somatic cell nuclei contain___pairs of chromosomes.
(a) 8
(b) 16
(c) 23
(d) 46
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that somatic cells are all the body cells except the gametes (sperm and egg cells).
Recall that chromosomes come in pairs in somatic cells because one chromosome of each pair is inherited from each parent.
Identify the total number of chromosomes in human somatic cells, which is 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs.
Recognize that the question asks for the number of pairs, not the total number of individual chromosomes.
Conclude that the correct number of chromosome pairs in human somatic cell nuclei is 23 pairs.
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Video duration:
1mKey Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Somatic Cells
Somatic cells are all the body cells except the reproductive cells (gametes). They contain a full set of chromosomes, which carry genetic information necessary for the organism's growth and function.
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Chromosome Pairs
Chromosomes in somatic cells exist in pairs called homologous pairs, where one chromosome of each pair is inherited from each parent. Humans typically have 23 pairs of chromosomes in their somatic cells.
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Human Chromosome Number
Humans have a diploid chromosome number of 46 in somatic cells, arranged as 23 pairs. This number includes 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes, determining biological sex.
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