A diploid (2n) cell undergoes meiosis. How many chromosomes will each gamete contain?

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Question restatement: A diploid (2n) cell undergoes meiosis. How many chromosomes will each gamete contain?

Option 1: 'Half n' — This phrasing is misleading. 'n' represents the haploid chromosome set, so a gamete does not contain 'half of n'; it contains exactly n chromosomes as the haploid set. The idea of 'half of n' would imply a fractional or inconsistent count, which biology does not support here.

Option 2: '4n' — This would indicate a tetraploid chromosome set, which is not produced in gamete formation by standard meiosis. Meiosis reduces the chromosome number from 2n to n, not to 4n, so this option overstates the final chromosome content.

Option 3: 'n' — This is the correct interpretation. Meiosis converts a 2n diploid cell into haploid gametes containing n chromosomes each. The process includes one round of DNA replication followed by two divisions, resulting in four haploid products, each with one chromosome set represented by n chromosomes.

Option 4: '2n' — This would describe the chromosome count of the original somatic (non-reproductive) diploid cell, not the gametes. Gametes are not 2n after meiosis; they are reduced to the haploid state, so this option does not describe the gamete chromosome content.

Additional clarification: In meiosis, cells start as 2n after S phase with duplicated chromosomes. The two divisions reduce the chromosome number by half, yielding gametes that contain one complete set of chromosomes, i.e., n. This ensures offspring receive a full diploid complement when gametes fuse during fertilization.

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A diploid (2n) cell undergoes meiosis. How many chromosomes will each gamete contain?

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