How many chromosomes would be present?

Question

Cell 'A' has 46 chromosomes. It undergoes meiosis I to produce cells C and D which later undergo meiosis II giving rise to cells Z X C V. How many chromosomes would be present in each of the cells C and Z.

Answer 1

Meiosis I produces two cells with half the original number of chromosomes, though each chromosome is still double-stranded (having two sister chromatids held together at the centromere) at that point. So after meiosis I in this question, each cell has 23 chromosomes.

Meiosis II separates the sister chromatids to opposite poles, but the chromosome number does not change. So after meiosis II in this question, each cell has 23 chromosomes.

If one stage of meiosis is like mitosis, it is meiosis II. Meiosis I is not like mitosis because in meiosis I the homologous chromosomes synapse and form tetrads. That never happens in mitosis. Mitosis is all about separating the sister chromatids from each other.

Answer 2

Twenty-three (23) chromosomes in either the C cell that resulted from the meiosis I division or in the C cell that resulted from the meiosis II division. There would be 23 chromosomes in the Z cell.

Answer 3

Uhm...half of 46?

Meiosis I is basically mitosis. So you get duplication of chromosomes.

Meiosis II is where the daughter cells split their chromosome pairs apart to put one member from each pair into each gamete.