Question

In a dolphin who has 2n=44 chromosomes, how many possible combinations of chromosomes could be made in its egg cell just using the law of independent assortment?

Answer 1

There are approximately 17.6 trillion possible combinations of chromosomes in a dolphin's egg cell.

Step-by-step explanation:

The possible combinations of chromosomes in a dolphin's egg cell can be determined using the law of independent assortment. In this case, the dolphin has 2n=44 chromosomes. According to the law of independent assortment, there are 2^n possible combinations of chromosomes that can be made in the egg cell.

So, for a dolphin with 2n=44 chromosomes, there are 2^44 possible combinations of chromosomes in its egg cell. This is an extremely large number, indicating a high level of genetic diversity in dolphin reproduction.

Therefore, using the law of independent assortment, the dolphin's egg cell can have approximately 17.6 trillion possible combinations of chromosomes.