Tara and Boris, Expectant Parents, Wonder About the Endless Possibility

Tara and Boris, expectant parents, wonder about the endless possibility of traits their unborn son might inherit from them (e.g., Tara's red hair and allergies; Boris's tall frame and poor eyesight) . As a genetics expert, you tell them that after cell division, the egg or sperm contains _____ chromosomes; thus, a male or female can produce _____ different combinations of his or her chromosomes.

A) 23; 2²³
B) 23; 23²
C) 46; 2⁴⁶
D) 46; 46²