Ch. 11-4 Section Assessment

In humans calls, 2N=46. How many chromosomes would you expect to find in a sperm cell? In an egg cell? In a white blood cell? Explain.

A sperm cell and an egg cell would have 23 chromosomes apiece, whereas an autosomal cell has 46 chromosomes.

What do the terms diploid and haploid mean?

Diploid means two sets of chromosomes whereas haploid means one set of chromosomes.

What is crossing-over?

During the first stage of meiosis, the tetrads form, allowing for the exchange of genetic information between homologous chromosomes.

Describe the main results of meiosis.

Meiosis is a process of reduction division in which the number of chromosomes per cell is cut in half through the separation of homologous chromosomes in a diploid cell.

What are the principal differences between mitosis and meiosis?

Mitosis results in the production of two genetically identical diploid cells, whereas meiosis produces four genetically different haploid cells.