If an organism has three pairs of chromosomes,how many possible combinations of homologous chromosomes could result from meiosis?
A) 2
B) 4
C) 8
D) 16
E) 32

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If an organism has three pairs of chromosomes, then there are a total of 6 chromosomes. During meiosis, each homologous pair separates and the resulting haploid gametes will have one chromosome from each pair. 
Thus, the number of possible combinations of homologous chromosomes can be calculated by 2 to the power of the number of homologous pairs, which in this case is 2^3 = 8. Therefore, there are 8 possible combinations of homologous chromosomes that could result from meiosis in an organism with three pairs of chromosomes.

If an Organism Has Three Pairs of Chromosomes,how Many Possible