How many generations are required by a cell of meristem to produce 128 cells ?

Options

A. 127
B. 64
C. 32
D. 7

Answer

To determine how many generations are required by a cell of meristem to produce 128 cells, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Concept of Cell Division**:
- Meristematic cells divide by mitosis, which is an equational division. This means that each division results in two daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parent cell.

2. **Use the Formula for Cell Production**:
- The total number of cells produced after 'n' generations (or mitotic divisions) can be expressed as:
\[ \text{Total Cells} = 2^n \]
- Here, \( n \) represents the number of generations or divisions.

3. **Set Up the Equation**:
- In this case, we need to find \( n \) when the total number of cells is 128:
\[ 128 = 2^n \]

4. **Convert 128 to a Power of 2**:
- We can express 128 as a power of 2:
\[ 128 = 2^7 \]
- This means that \( n \) must be 7 since \( 2^7 = 128 \).

5. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the number of generations required by a cell of meristem to produce 128 cells is:
\[ n = 7 \]

### Final Answer:
7 generations are required by a cell of meristem to produce 128 cells.

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