Question

How many sets of chromosomes does the nucleus of most horse cells contain?

a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four

Answer 1

The nucleus of most horse cells contains two sets of chromosomes, which means horse somatic cells are diploid. Applying this information to example questions helps understand that gametes have half the number of chromosomes of somatic cells, and meiosis produces four haploid cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nucleus of most horse cells contains two sets of chromosomes, which is known as a diploid configuration. This means that a horse cell is designated as 2n, where 'n' represents a single set of chromosomes. Therefore, for horses and other diploid organisms, their somatic cells carry a diploid number of chromosomes.

To apply this knowledge to the example questions:

1. If a muscle cell of a typical organism has 32 chromosomes, a gamete of that same organism will have half that number, which is 16 chromosomes (option b).
2. Meiosis usually produces four haploid cells (option c).
3. A diploid cell has twice the number of chromosomes as a haploid cell (not an option).
4. Nitrogen with an atomic number of seven typically has two electron shells (option b).

In summary, for a typical diploid organism, body cells are diploid with two sets of chromosomes, while gametes are haploid, carrying only one set.