Chapter 5 - Meiosis

Question 1

How many cells are made from meiosis? Are they haploid or diploid?

Answer 1

4 haploid cells arise from Meiosis.

Question 2

Briefly explain how babies (2n) are made from parental sex cells.

Answer 2

1. Both parents undergo meiosis, creating haploid (n) sex cells from their existing diploid (2n) cells. These cells each contain chromosomes from each grandparent which have gone through crossing over.
2. When the egg is fertilized, the haploid sperm cell and the haploid egg cell fuse to create a haploid baby cell.
3. The new haploid cell starts undergoing mitosis again and again until a baby is formed.

Question 3

What causes genetic variation?

Answer 3

Mutation and genetic recombination.