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Multiple Choice
How many sister chromatids are found in a single human cell undergoing prophase II of meiosis?
A
92
B
46
C
23
D
12
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the process of meiosis: Meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in four haploid cells. It consists of two stages: meiosis I and meiosis II.
Recall the events of meiosis I: During meiosis I, homologous chromosomes are separated, resulting in two cells, each with half the number of chromosomes as the original cell. Each chromosome consists of two sister chromatids.
Identify the stage of interest: The problem asks about prophase II, which is the beginning of meiosis II. At this stage, the cells have already completed meiosis I.
Determine the number of sister chromatids: After meiosis I, each cell has half the original number of chromosomes, but each chromosome still consists of two sister chromatids. In humans, this means each cell has 23 chromosomes, each with two sister chromatids.
Calculate the total number of sister chromatids: Since each of the 23 chromosomes has two sister chromatids, multiply the number of chromosomes by two to find the total number of sister chromatids in a single cell during prophase II.