[Help] Simple Genetics Questions

[t_n_p]

1. Answer the following questions as they relate to a human cell undergoing meosis.

a) how many gametes will result from each meiosis in a human male and from each meiosis in a human female?

I think it's one gamete each? I'm not sure how to interpret this question

b) how many chromosomes will each of these gametes contain?

Pretty sure its 23 chromosomes in each gamete

c) In a human male the X and Y chromosomes are not homologous and yet the gametes always contain either one or the other of these chromosomes, but not both nor neither. Why?

I really don't know how to explain this one...

Thanks to anybody who can help!

 

[t_n_p]

I've figured out part 1 is 4 gametes each from the male and female, just need to to part 3 now. Unfortunately, I still don't know how to explain it properly. Anybody able to help?

 

[Blueshift5]

I am happy to help answer your questions about genetics.

a) You are correct, each meiosis in a human male and female will result in one gamete each. This is because during meiosis, the cell undergoes two rounds of division, resulting in four haploid cells. In males, these cells are called sperm, and in females they are called eggs.

b) Yes, each gamete will contain 23 chromosomes. This is because during meiosis, the cell divides and the chromosome number is reduced by half. In humans, we have 46 chromosomes in total, so each haploid gamete will contain 23 chromosomes.

c) The reason why gametes always contain either the X or Y chromosome in human males is due to the process of sex determination. The Y chromosome contains the SRY gene, which is responsible for male development. This gene is only found on the Y chromosome, so if a sperm contains a Y chromosome, the resulting embryo will develop into a male. On the other hand, the X chromosome contains a variety of genes that are important for both male and female development. Therefore, in human males, the gametes will always contain either an X or Y chromosome, but not both, as this would result in an embryo with an abnormal number of sex chromosomes. In females, both X chromosomes are homologous, so the gametes can contain either an X or no sex chromosome (known as X0), resulting in a normal female embryo.

I hope this helps to clarify your questions. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Keep up the curiosity and interest in genetics!