How do cells at the completion of meiosis compare with the cell from which they were derived?

Options

A. They have the same number of chromosomes and half the amount of DNA.
B. They have half the amount of cytoplasm and twice the amount of DNA
C. They have half the number of chromosomes and half the amount of DNA
D. They have twice the amount of cytoplasm and half the amount of DNA

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 daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes of the original cell.

2. **Reductional Division**: The first division in meiosis is known as reductional division. During this phase, the homologous chromosomes are separated, leading to a reduction in chromosome number.

3. **Chromosome Count**: If we start with a parent cell that has a certain number of chromosomes (for example, 20 chromosomes), after meiosis, each of the resulting daughter cells will have half that number. Therefore, in this example, each daughter cell will have 10 chromosomes.

4. **DNA Content**: Along with the reduction in chromosome number, the amount of DNA in each daughter cell is also halved. This is because each chromosome consists of two sister chromatids prior to meiosis, but after meiosis, each daughter cell receives only one chromatid from each chromosome.

5. **Cytoplasm Distribution**: During cytokinesis (the final step of cell division), the cytoplasm is divided among the daughter cells. Typically, the amount of cytoplasm in each daughter cell is also reduced compared to the parent cell.

6. **Final Comparison**: Thus, at the completion of meiosis, the daughter cells have:
- Half the number of chromosomes compared to the parent cell.
- Half the amount of DNA compared to the parent cell.
- A reduced amount of cytoplasm compared to the parent cell.

### Conclusion:
Cells at the completion of meiosis have half the number of chromosomes and half the amount of DNA compared to the original parent cell from which they were derived.

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