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Multiple Choice
How many femtograms of DNA are present in a cell at the end of Meiosis I?
A
50 femtograms
B
400 femtograms
C
200 femtograms
D
100 femtograms
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in four haploid cells from one diploid cell.
Recall that DNA replication occurs during the S phase of interphase, before meiosis begins, doubling the DNA content in the cell.
During Meiosis I, homologous chromosomes are separated, but the sister chromatids remain together, so the DNA content is halved compared to the end of the S phase.
If a cell starts with a certain amount of DNA, after the S phase, it will have double that amount. At the end of Meiosis I, the DNA content will be half of what it was after the S phase.
Given that the correct answer is 100 femtograms, deduce that the cell had 200 femtograms of DNA after the S phase, which is halved to 100 femtograms at the end of Meiosis I.