In an allopolyploid organism, which of the following best describes the origin of its genome?

• A. It results from the duplication of chromosomes within a single species.
• B. It contains complete sets of chromosomes from two or more different species.
• C. It arises from the loss of chromosomes during meiosis.
• D. It has only one set of chromosomes from each parent.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definition of an allopolyploid organism: it is an organism that contains multiple sets of chromosomes derived from different species.
2. Recall that allopolyploidy results from hybridization between two or more distinct species, followed by chromosome doubling, which leads to complete sets of chromosomes from each parent species being present.
3. Contrast allopolyploidy with autopolyploidy, where chromosome duplication occurs within a single species, resulting in multiple chromosome sets from the same species.
4. Recognize that chromosome loss during meiosis or having only one set of chromosomes from each parent does not describe allopolyploidy.
5. Conclude that the best description of the origin of an allopolyploid genome is that it contains complete sets of chromosomes from two or more different species.