Question

If the somatic cell has 56 chromosomes select the correct number of chromosomes in gametes.
A. 14
B. 28
C. 56
D. 112
E. 168

Answer 1

Hint: With the exception of sperm and egg cells, a somatic cell is any cell of the body. There are diploid somatic cells, which means that they contain two sets of chromosomes, one inherited from each parent. Mutations may affect the person in somatic cells, but they are not passed onto offspring.

Complete Answer:
- Gametes are reproductive cells of the body. They're often referred to as sex cells.Ova or egg cells are referred to as female gametes, and sperm cells are referred to as male gametes.
- Gametes are haploid cells, and each cell contains only one copy of each chromosome. These reproductive cells are formed by a form of cell division called meiosis. Like all cells, somatic cells produce DNA that is arranged in chromosomes.
- If the somatic cell contains chromosomes arranged in pairs, it is considered diploid and the organism is considered diploid. (The gametes of diploid species contain only single unpaired chromosomes and are called haploid.)
- Each chromosome pair consists of one chromosome that has been inherited from the father and one that has been inherited from the mother.For example, somatic cells in humans contain 46 chromosomes, which are organised into 23 pairs.
- Diploid cells, on the other hand, produce just half as many chromosomes. There are 23 unpaired chromosomes in humans. When two gametes (i.e. sperm and ovum) meet during pregnancy, they fuse together, forming a zygote. As a result of the merger of the two gametes, the human zygote comprises 46 chromosomes (i.e. 23 pairs).
- Chromosome number, the exact number of chromosomes typical of a given species. In every asexually reproducing animal, the chromosome number is always the same.
- The number of chromosomes in the body (somatic) cells is usually diploid (2n; a pair of each chromosome) in sexually reproducing animals, twice the number of haploids (1n) found in sex cells or gametes.

The correct answer is opton (B) 28.

Note: In recent years, the technique of cloning whole organisms has been introduced in mammals, enabling the development of almost identical genetic clones of the animal. One way of doing so is called "somatic cell nuclear transfer" and involves extracting the nucleus from a somatic cell, normally a skin cell. This nucleus contains all the genetic material required to create the organism from which it was extracted.