Why is it necessary for the number of chromosomes to be halved during sexual reproduction?

Answer 1

They need to in order to form a haploid cell.

And it has something to do with how the telomeres pull on them;

But how they do it is still a secret.

Perhaps you can solve it someday for your pHD thesis.

Answer 2

In meiosis, the chromosome number is reduced by half because this process produces gametes (eggs and sperm). Gametes must contain one half the number of somatic (non-gamete) cells because two gametes fuse to form a zygote at fertlization. and the zygote carries equal genetric contributions from each parent. In the zygote, one-half of the chromosomes come from the male and one-half from the female.

Answer 3

Gametes (sex cells ie. sperm and egg cells) must have the haploid number of chromosomes, that is to say, half a normal set of 46 (23 pairs). Gametes divide by meiosis, ensuring that there are only ever 23 chromosomes in each sperm and egg cell. This is because at fertilisation, the 23 chromosomes from the sperm fuse with the 23 egg chromosomes - hence a full complememt of genetic material. If, hypothetically, a sperm cell with 46 chromosomes fused with an egg cell with 46 chromosomes, the end result would be 96 chromosomes, and this would then double with each generation!!

Answer 4

Meiosis, as opposed to binary fission or budding, creates haploid (N) gamete cells so that sexual reproduction can take place. Fertilization takes two gametes and forms a diploid (2N) zygote, which has the full genome of that organism.

Answer 5

Meiosis is the type of cell division which produces gametes, or sex cells eg egg and sperm. The gametes then fuse in the process of fertilization. If each gamete contained the full number of chromosomes eg 46 in humans, then the fertilized egg would end up with twice the number of chromosomes eg 92 in humans. This would happen every generation, which is obviously impossible!

So during meiosis the chromosome number is halved eg from 46 to 23 in humans, so that the egg carries 23 chromosome and the sperm carries 23 chromosomes. When fertilization occurs the normal chromosome number is restored.

Answer 6

Because you get half of your chromosomes from your mother and half from your father. 0.5 + 0.5 =1