Final answer:
A triploid Drosophila melanogaster would have 12 chromosomes and a tetraploid would contain 16 chromosomes. The correct answer to the given question is a) 12; 16.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Drosophila melanogaster, the number of chromosomes is often represented as 2n = 8, with 2n denoting the diploid number. A triploid organism would have three sets of these chromosomes, and a tetraploid would have four sets. Therefore, a triploid fly would have 3n chromosomes (3 sets), which would be 3 x 4 = 12 chromosomes.
A tetraploid fly would have 4n chromosomes (4 sets), which would be 4 x 4 = 16 chromosomes. The correct answer is a) 12; 16. Polyploidy represents a condition when there are more than two sets of chromosomes, and in the context of this question, it is essential to multiply the haploid number by the number of sets to determine the total chromosome count in such organisms.