Question

how does meiosis affect the number of chromosomes in the daughter cells? meiosis only changes the number of chromosomes in one cell. meiosis maintains the number of chromosomes in the daughter cells equal to the parent cell. meiosis reduces the number of chromosomes in the daughter cell by half. meiosis doubles the the number of chromosomes in the daughter cells.

Explanation:

Meiosis is a type of cell division that occurs in reproductive cells. Its main purpose is to produce gametes (sperm or egg cells) with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. This is because during meiosis, the cell undergoes two rounds of division (meiosis I and meiosis II) after a single round of DNA replication. In meiosis I, homologous chromosomes pair up and then separate, reducing the chromosome number by half. Then in meiosis II, sister chromatids separate, but the chromosome number remains the same as after meiosis I. So the daughter cells produced by meiosis have half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell.

Let's analyze each option:

• The first option is incorrect because meiosis affects all the daughter cells produced, not just one.
• The second option is incorrect because it describes mitosis, which maintains the chromosome number in daughter cells equal to the parent cell. Mitosis is used for growth, repair, and asexual reproduction.
• The third option is correct as meiosis reduces the chromosome number in daughter cells by half.
• The fourth option is incorrect because meiosis does not double the chromosome number; in fact, it reduces it. Doubling of chromosomes would happen during DNA replication before meiosis, but the overall result of meiosis is a reduction.

Answer:

The correct option is: Meiosis reduces the number of chromosomes in the daughter cell by half.