Drosophila melanogaster possesses eight chromosomes in somatic cells .How many linkage groups will be there?

Options

A. 4
B. 8
C. 2
D. 5

Answer

To solve the question regarding the number of linkage groups in Drosophila melanogaster, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Total Number of Chromosomes**:
- Drosophila melanogaster has a total of 8 chromosomes in its somatic cells.

2. **Understand Chromosome Types**:
- Somatic cells are diploid, meaning they contain two sets of chromosomes. In this case, Drosophila has 8 chromosomes, which means it has 4 pairs of chromosomes.

3. **Determine the Haploid Number**:
- The haploid number of chromosomes is half the diploid number. Therefore, for Drosophila, the haploid number is:
\[ \text{Haploid number} = \frac{\text{Diploid number}}{2} = \frac{8}{2} = 4 \]

4. **Linkage Groups Correspondence**:
- The number of linkage groups in an organism corresponds to its haploid number of chromosomes. Thus, since Drosophila has a haploid number of 4, it will have 4 linkage groups.

5. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the number of linkage groups in Drosophila melanogaster is 4.

### Final Answer:
The number of linkage groups in Drosophila melanogaster is **4**.

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