[Campbell Biology P.314] For a human n=23 , how many possible combinations of maternal and p... | Practice Question

For a human n=23 , how many possible combinations of maternal and paternal chromosomes can be produced in the gametes by independent assortment alone?

  • A: 23
  • B: 46
  • C: 2^23 (about 8.4 million)
  • D: 23^2 (529)

Explanation

The text states that the number of possible combinations is 2^n, where n is the haploid number. For humans, n=23, so the number of combinations is 2^23, which is about 8.4 million.