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WAEC Biology 2017 Papers

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Question : 44

Total: 49

An apple plant can produce sexually and asexually and it has 40 chromosomes in its leaf cells. How many chromosomes would be in each gamete and somatic cell?

20 chromosomes in the gametes and 10 in the somatic cells
40 chromosomes in the gametes and 20 in the somatic cells
20 chromosomes in the gametes and 40 in the somatic cells
40 chromosomes in the gametes and 40 in the somatic cells

Solution:

Concept:

Gametes are haploid

(n)

and somatic cells are diploid

(2n)

.

Explanation:

Leaf cells are somatic cells, so they have the diploid number

2n = 40

.

Gametes are formed by meiosis and receive half the chromosome number.

Thus, each gamete has

n = \frac{40}{2} = 20

chromosomes.

Somatic cells retain the full diploid set, so they have

40

chromosomes.

Answer:

Gametes have

20

chromosomes and somatic cells have

40

chromosomes, which is option C.

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