Question

ASAP PLS There are lots of big words in genetics! One way to start thinking about the process of meiosis is to ask yourself some questions.

If two parents are contributing genetic material to their offspring, why don’t the genes and chromosomes double in each generation?

If each parent has two sets of genes and chromosomes, why do their offspring receive only one set from each parent?

Answer 1

1) the genes and chromosomes do not double after each generations because parental sex cells are haploid and only contain one set of chromosomes. During fertilization the two cells fuse to form a diploid zygote with two copies of genes and chromosomes. For example a normal human has 46 chromosomes (2 copies of 23 chromosomes) during reproduction gametes which contain 23 chromosomes (haploid) fuse to form an offspring with the correct number of chromosomes ( 23 + 23 = 46).

2) offspring only receive one set of chromosomes from each parent so to maintain the chromosome number of humans. If this did not happen you would not be the same species.