Will offspring have more or less chromosomes?

Answer 1

Normally, a mammal offspring will have 46 chromosomes, the same number as each of their parents; half of those chromosomes will come from each parent. However, there are mutations which can cause exceptions to this. For example, offspring with Trisomy 21, more commonly known as Down syndrome, have an extra 21st chromosome (instead of the usual two--one from each parent). Mutations like this can have effects that range from mild to fatal.

Answer 2

Offspring typically inherit the same number of chromosomes as their parents, with half coming from the mother and half from the father. This maintains the chromosome number within the species.