Human Gametes Contain _ Chromosomes; Somatic Cells Contain _

Question

Human gametes contain _ chromosomes; somatic cells contain _ .
A) 46; 46
B) 46; 92
C) 23; 46
D) 12; 24

Accepted Answer

Human gametes (sperm and egg cells) contain 23 chromosomes, which is half the number found in somatic cells (body cells), which contain 46 chromosomes. This is because gametes are produced through meiosis, which reduces the chromosome number by half to ensure that upon fertilization, the resulting zygote has the correct number of chromosomes.