If you mate a donkey (2n = 62) with a horse (2n = 64) you get a mule. Mules are sterile and cannot produce gametes by meiosis because theyMultiple Choicecontain too few chromosomes.have an odd number of chromosomes.have an even number of chromosomes.contain too many chromosomes.lack genes that are essential for life.
Question
If you mate a donkey (2n = 62) with a horse (2n = 64) you get a mule. Mules are sterile and cannot produce gametes by meiosis because theyMultiple Choicecontain too few chromosomes.have an odd number of chromosomes.have an even number of chromosomes.contain too many chromosomes.lack genes that are essential for life.
Solution
Mules are sterile and cannot produce gametes by meiosis because they have an odd number of chromosomes.
Here's the step by step explanation:
- A donkey has 62 chromosomes and a horse has 64 chromosomes.
- When they mate, their offspring (a mule) will have a total of 63 chromosomes. This is an odd number.
- For meiosis to occur properly, chromosomes must be able to pair up and form homologous pairs.
- However, with an odd number of chromosomes, one chromosome will not have a pair.
- This prevents the chromosomes from separating properly during meiosis, leading to the production of unviable gametes.
- As a result, mules are unable to reproduce, making them sterile.
Similar Questions
Horses have a chromosome number of 64 (2n = 64). Donkeys have a chromosome number of 62 (2n = 62). Horses can breed with donkeys to produce mules that are infertile. Using the information of the number of chromosomes of horses and donkeys, and your knowledge of meiosis, explain why mules are infertile
Mules are sterile and are the result of crossing a horse with a donkey. This is an example of:Group of answer choiceslow hybrid zygote viabilitylow hybrid adult viabilityhybrid zonegametic isolationhybrid infertility
The mule is the result of the interbreeding of two separate species. Mules cannot form fertile, viable offspring with horses, donkeys, or mules. The mule is therefore an example of which of the following?Multiple choice question.A species that originated because of an autopolyploid event in the horseA hybrid species that can produce viable offspringA new species that originated through hybridizationA species that evolved allopatrically to the horseA sterile hybrid
In many ways, a mule is a superior animal to the horse or donkey. Mules are often stronger and can jump higher than either of their parents. Why, then, are mules considered to be a "weak hybrid"?They are more prone to disease than are horses and donkeys.They are sterile.They do not live as long as horses and donkeys.Their offspring are progressively weaker than the parents.
Introduces genetic variability among the gametes.Group of answer choicesmeiosis onlymitosis onlyneither mitosis nor meiosisboth mitosis and meiosis
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