Using the diagram below. If this is an animal cell going through metaphase I of meiosis, how many chromosomes are in the original cells of the organism?

Question

anonymous · Answer

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wolfe8 · Answer

What happens during meiosis?

anonymous · Answer

Nuclear division that reeuces the number of chromosomes in new cells to half the number in the originall cell... So it's 1.5. Am i right?

anonymous · Answer

reduces*

wolfe8 · Answer

Meiosis Listeni/maɪˈoʊsɨs/ is a special type of cell division necessary for sexual reproduction in eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. The number of sets of chromosomes in the cell undergoing meiosis is reduced to half the original number, typically from two sets (diploid) to one set (haploid). The cells produced by meiosis are either gametes (the usual case in animals) or otherwise usually spores from which gametes are ultimately produced (the case in land plants). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiosis Keep in mind that the X's are pairs of chromosomes. You actually have 6 chromosomes in that picture. You cannot have not a whole number of chromosome...

anonymous · Answer

I thought the X's were pairs of sister chromatids, each one making up a chromosome.

wolfe8 · Answer

*buffering*

anonymous · Answer

What?

wolfe8 · Answer

Wait a minute. If you have a cell that has half, wouldn't the original have 6 then? Why did you divide it further by 2?

anonymous · Answer

So are you saying that in metaphase I the cell has already divided by half?

wolfe8 · Answer

Oh dear God all the terms are confusing me. Can you just state what your book says about the whole process?

anonymous · Answer

Nevermind, I got it. Since it was in Metaphase I, it's still the same cell, hasn't even divided once, it's only beginning the process, so in that particular situation in the question, it has the same number of chromosomes.

wolfe8 · Answer

Eh if you say so. I don't know anymore

anonymous · Answer

Haha don't worry, you actually helped me out.