Question

A cell biologist examines a diploid cell from a barley plant during prometaphase of mitosis and determines that 28 chromatids are present. The role of meiosis in this plant is to

a.) increase the number of chromosomes per cell from 14 to 28.
b.) produce 4 daughter cells that are genetically identical to each other.
c.) reduce the number of chromosomes per cell from 28 to 14.
d.) reduce the number of chromosomes per cell from 14 to 7.
e.) produce 4 daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parental cell.

Answer 1

Meiosis reduces the number of chromosomes per cell from 28 to 14 in the barley plant.

Step-by-step explanation:

Meiosis is a type of cell division that occurs in sexually reproducing organisms and results in the formation of gametes (sperm and eggs) with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. This reduction in chromosome number is essential for maintaining the stability of the species' chromosome number across generations. Meiosis involves two successive cell divisions, resulting in the production of four non-identical daughter cells.

Meiosis is the nuclear division that forms haploid cells from diploid cells. In this case, meiosis in the barley plant is reducing the number of chromosomes per cell from 28 to 14. Therefore, the correct answer is c.) reduce the number of chromosomes per cell from 28 to 14.