Drosophila melanogaster has four pairs of chromosomes.Sperm from this species are formed by a meiotic process in which homologous chromosomes pair and segregate but do not undergo crossing over.How many genetically different kinds of sperm could be produced by a Drosophila melanogaster male?
A)4
B)8
C)16
D)64
E)256

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since Drosophila melanogaster has four pairs of chromosomes, there are eight chromosomes in total. During meiosis, homologous chromosomes pair and segregate, leading to the formation of haploid sex cells or gametes (sperm in this case). Since there is no crossing over, each chromosome in the gamete will be identical to either the maternal or paternal chromosome. This means that there are two possible versions of each chromosome in the gamete, resulting in 2^4 = 16 genetically different kinds of sperm that could be produced by a Drosophila melanogaster male. Therefore, choice C is the best answer.

Drosophila Melanogaster Has Four Pairs of Chromosomes