106k views
1 vote
After meiosis I, each daughter cell contains ______ chromosomes consisting of ________ connected chromatids

User Smashery
by
8.4k points

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

After meiosis I, each daughter cell contains haploid chromosomes, each made up of two connected sister chromatids. These cells prepare to undergo meiosis II, where sister chromatids will be separated to form haploid gametes with unpaired chromosomes.

Step-by-step explanation:

After meiosis I, each daughter cell contains haploid chromosomes consisting of two connected sister chromatids. These cells are haploid because they contain one set of chromosomes, one from each pair of homologous chromosomes. However, each chromosome still consists of two sister chromatids. After DNA replication, prior to meiosis, each chromosome was made of two identical sister chromatids, which remain connected until they are separated in meiosis II. This second meiotic division results in four unique haploid cells, with each cell containing single, unpaired chromosomes.

In humans, for example, each haploid cell after meiosis I would have 23 chromosomes, each with two connected sister chromatids, because the human diploid parent cell starts with 46 chromosomes. Following meiosis II, these chromatids are separated, resulting in daughter cells that each have 23 singular chromosomes, thereby completing the process of meiotic cell division to generate gametes.

User Forepick
by
8.4k points