LIFE SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Meiosis is referred to as reductional division as the number of chromosomes is halved post the first meiotic division. Thus, when gametes unite to generate an embryo, it doesn’t contain twice the number of chromosomes of the parent cells.

Detailed explanation-2: -In humans, an egg cell with 23 chromo-somes joins a sperm cell with 23 chromosomes to form a new 2n cell with 46 chromosomes. During fertilization, a 1n egg cell from a female combines with a 1n sperm cell from a male, producing a 2n fertilized egg cell, which develops into an offspring.

Detailed explanation-3: -When these haploid gametes fuse to form a zygote, the zygote will have 23+23= 46 chromosomes which are equal to the number of chromosomes in the parent cell. Hence both the parents and offspring have the equal number of chromosomes.