Final answer:
In anaphase, chromatids separate and become individual chromosomes. Considering that there are 24 chromatids, after separation during meiosis to produce gametes, each gamete would contain 12 chromosomes, which is half the original chromatid count.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the chromatid count of a cell in anaphase is 24, this indicates that the cell is currently in the process of mitosis or meiosis. Considering that chromatids separate into individual chromosomes during anaphase, each of these chromatids will become a single chromosome. Since gametes are formed through meiosis which reduces the chromosome number by half, the chromosome count in a gamete would be equal to half of the chromatid count observed in anaphase of the precursor cell. Therefore, the gamete would have 12 chromosomes.
As a more general example, if a muscle cell of a typical organism has 32 chromosomes, a gamete from that organism, following meiosis, would end up with half the chromosome count, which is 16 chromosomes. Meiosis reduces the chromosome number from diploid to haploid, which is vital for sexual reproduction to maintain the species-specific chromosome number through generations. Thus, the zygote, formed by the union of two gametes, will restore the diploid number of chromosomes.