Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
How many bivalents are formed in a cell with 20 chromosomes at the beginning of Meiosis I?
A
20
B
40
C
10
D
5
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that a bivalent is formed during meiosis when two homologous chromosomes pair up. Each pair consists of two chromosomes, one from each parent.
Recognize that meiosis I begins with the pairing of homologous chromosomes to form bivalents. This is a key step in reducing the chromosome number by half.
Identify that the cell starts with 20 chromosomes. Since chromosomes exist in pairs, there are 10 pairs of homologous chromosomes.
Calculate the number of bivalents by considering that each pair of homologous chromosomes forms one bivalent. Therefore, with 10 pairs, there will be 10 bivalents formed.
Conclude that the number of bivalents formed in a cell with 20 chromosomes at the beginning of meiosis I is 10.