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Multiple Choice
Sperm must first complete ________ to enable the fertilization of an oocyte.
A
gastrulation
B
mitosis
C
meiosis
D
fertilization
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the biological process of fertilization. Fertilization is the union of a sperm cell and an oocyte (egg cell) to form a zygote, which is the first cell of a new organism.
Step 2: Recall the role of meiosis in gamete formation. Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing haploid cells (sperm and oocytes) from diploid precursor cells.
Step 3: Recognize that sperm cells must complete meiosis before they are mature and capable of fertilizing an oocyte. Meiosis ensures that the sperm carries the correct haploid number of chromosomes to combine with the haploid oocyte.
Step 4: Eliminate incorrect options. Gastrulation is a developmental process that occurs after fertilization, mitosis is a general cell division process that does not produce haploid gametes, and fertilization is the event that occurs after the sperm has completed meiosis.
Step 5: Conclude that the correct answer is meiosis, as it is the process that sperm must complete to enable fertilization of an oocyte.