During meiosis, how does the number of chromosomes in a gamete (sex cell) compare to that in the original parent cell?

• A. The gamete has twice the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.
• B. The gamete has half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.
• C. The gamete has the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell.
• D. The gamete has one-quarter the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half to produce gametes (sex cells).
2. Understand that the original parent cell is diploid (2n), meaning it has two sets of chromosomes—one from each parent.
3. During meiosis, the cell undergoes one round of DNA replication followed by two rounds of cell division (meiosis I and meiosis II).
4. As a result, the chromosome number is halved, producing haploid (n) gametes that contain only one set of chromosomes.
5. Therefore, the number of chromosomes in a gamete is half the number in the original diploid parent cell.