The. total DNA content of each daughter cell is reduced during meiosis because -

Options

A. Chromosomes don't replicate during the lnterphase preceding meiosis I
B. Chromosomes do not replicate between meiosis I and II
C. Half of the chromosomes ·from each gamete are lost during fertilization
D. Chromosome arms are lost during crossing over.

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Meiosis**: Meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in four haploid daughter cells from one diploid parent cell. It consists of two sequential divisions: meiosis I and meiosis II.

2. **Meiosis I**: During meiosis I, homologous chromosomes (each consisting of two sister chromatids) are separated into two daughter cells. This reduces the chromosome number by half. For example, if the parent cell has 46 chromosomes (23 pairs), after meiosis I, each daughter cell will have 23 chromosomes (each still consisting of two sister chromatids).

3. **Meiosis II**: In meiosis II, the two daughter cells from meiosis I undergo division again. However, this time, the sister chromatids of each chromosome are separated. This does not involve any further DNA replication between meiosis I and meiosis II.

4. **Reduction of DNA Content**: The total DNA content is reduced because, after meiosis I, the cells are already haploid (having half the chromosome number). In meiosis II, although the number of chromosomes remains the same (23), each chromosome is now separated into individual chromatids. Therefore, the total amount of DNA in each daughter cell is effectively halved compared to the original diploid cell.

5. **Conclusion**: The total DNA content of each daughter cell is reduced during meiosis because DNA replication does not occur between meiosis I and meiosis II. This means that the number of chromatids is halved in the final daughter cells.

**Final Answer**: The total DNA content of each daughter cell is reduced during meiosis because chromosomes do not replicate between meiosis I and meiosis II.

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