Understanding Chromosomes - Biology

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Question

If a somatic cell of a diploid organism contains eight chromosomes during interphase, which of the following must be true?

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Answer

A somatic cell is a non-sex cell. During interphase (i.e. not during mitosis), a somatic cell of a diploid organism will be in its 2n state with two copies of each chromosome. A diploid somatic cell with eight chromosomes indicates that 2n=8.

When a somatic cell undergoes mitosis it first replicates its chromosomes, so in metaphase it will have sixteen chromatids. At this point, each of the eight chromosomes will be composed of two identical chromatids, for a total of sixteen.

When a germ cell begins meiosis, it also replicates the chromosomes and has sixteen chromatids until meiosis I is complete. During meiosis II, the two daughter cells from meiosis I each contain four chromosomes, each with two chromatids, for a total of eight chromatids. These chromatids are split during meiosis II, giving you four gametes that each have four chromosomes, each made of only one chromatid. This means that the gametes are haploid, since they contain only half of the original genetic material (n=4).

The transition from diploid to haploid occurs after meiosis I, since the first daughter cells only contain one copy of each chromosome after the tetrads are separated.

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