Imagine this is a typical human cell that is about to take part in sexual reproduction and become a gamete. Describe the process involved in producing the gamete and how that contributes to the offspring inheriting certain traits from the parent.


A. The cell undergoes mitosis and the chromosomes are reduced. Each egg or sperm has half the chromosomes, which are randomly separated. At fertilization, the zygote has inherited half its chromosomes from each parent.

B. During meiosis, chromosomes replicate. When egg or sperm are produced they receive the chromosomes of the parent cell. At fertilization the chromosomes of each parent are mixed and then the number is reduced by half.

C. The cell undergoes meiosis and the chromosomes are reduced. Each egg or sperm has half the chromosomes, which are randomly separated. At fertilization, the zygote has inherited half its chromosomes from each parent.

D. The cell become a gamete, either sperm or egg. It contains the parental DNA that is then passed on to the offspring during sexual reproduction.