Final answer:
A sperm cell with 8 chromosomes indicates that the animal's somatic cells have b) 16 chromosomes, as somatic cells are diploid with two sets of chromosomes, and gametes are haploid with one set.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a sperm cell contains 8 chromosomes, it came from an animal with double the amount in its somatic cells. Somatic cells are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes, while gametes (sperm and eggs) are haploid and have only one set. This is because during the formation of gametes, a process called meiosis occurs, which reduces the chromosome number by half to maintain the species-specific chromosome number after fertilization.
Therefore, if a sperm cell has 8 chromosomes, the animal's somatic cells have 16 chromosomes. The correct answer here is Choice B) 16 chromosomes.