Final answer:
A homologous pair of mitotic chromosomes possesses A. two alleles for each locus, reflecting the genetic contribution from both mother and father.
Step-by-step explanation:
A homologous pair of mitotic chromosomes will possess two alleles for each locus. During mitosis, each chromosome consists of two identical sister chromatids, and each sister chromatid carries one allele for each gene.
However, it’s important to note that homologous chromosomes are a pair where one is inherited from the mother and the other from the father, and they may have different alleles at a given locus.
Homologous chromosomes are similar but not identical; they both carry genes for the same traits at the same loci. Since one homolog is inherited from each parent, they may carry different versions of the same gene, known as alleles.
Considering a pair of homologous chromosomes, this would result in two alleles for each gene locus, one from each parent.
So for each gene locus on a pair of homologous chromosomes, there are usually two alleles present, reflecting the genetic contribution from both parents.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is: A. 2.