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Multiple Choice
How many genetically unique gametes can be created in an organism with 4 chromosomes?
A
256.
B
23.
C
16.
D
1 million.
E
4.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that the number of genetically unique gametes an organism can produce is determined by the process of meiosis, specifically through independent assortment and crossing over.
Independent assortment refers to the way chromosomes are distributed into gametes randomly. For an organism with 'n' pairs of chromosomes, the number of combinations due to independent assortment is given by the formula: .
In this problem, the organism has 4 chromosomes. Assuming these are 2 pairs of homologous chromosomes, calculate the number of unique gametes using the formula: .
Crossing over can further increase genetic diversity, but for the purpose of this problem, we focus on independent assortment alone.
Calculate the result of to find the number of genetically unique gametes.