An organism has 8 pairs of chromosomes in each somatic cell. If the sperm and egg did not undergo meiosis, how many chromosomes would be present in a cell that resulted from the fusion of a sperm and egg?
A) 8
B) 16
C) 24
D) 32
E) 64

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Normally, meiosis halves the chromosome number, so each gamete (sperm or egg) would have 8 pairs or 16 chromosomes. Without meiosis, they retain the full set, so upon fusion, the resulting cell would have 16 pairs or 32 chromosomes.

An Organism Has 8 Pairs of Chromosomes in Each Somatic