In the meiotic cell division, 56 daughter cells are produced by two successive divisions in which

Options

A. First division is equational, second is reductional
B. First division is redcutional, second is equational
C. Both divisions are reductional
D. Both divisions are equational

Answer

To solve the question regarding meiotic cell division and the production of 56 daughter cells, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Meiosis**: Meiosis consists of two successive divisions: Meiosis I and Meiosis II. The first division (Meiosis I) is reductional, meaning it reduces the chromosome number by half, while the second division (Meiosis II) is equational, similar to mitosis, where the sister chromatids are separated.

2. **Calculating Daughter Cells**: The question states that 56 daughter cells are produced. In meiosis, the number of daughter cells produced is a result of the two divisions.

3. **Reverse Calculation**:
- After Meiosis II, if there are 56 daughter cells, we can determine how many cells were produced after Meiosis I. Since Meiosis II doubles the number of cells produced in Meiosis I, we can calculate:
\[ \text{Number of cells after Meiosis I} = \frac{56}{2} = 28 \]
- Now, we need to find out how many cells were present before Meiosis I. Since Meiosis I is reductional, it halves the number of chromosomes:
\[ \text{Number of parent cells} = \frac{28}{2} = 14 \]

4. **Identifying the Type of Divisions**:
- In the first division (Meiosis I), the chromosome number is reduced from 2N to N (14 to 28).
- In the second division (Meiosis II), the number of cells is doubled from 28 to 56 without changing the chromosome number (N to N).

5. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the first division is reductional, and the second division is equational. The correct answer is that the first division is reductional and the second is equational.

### Final Answer:
The correct option is: **First division is reductional, second is equational.**