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Difficulty: MediumGene Mutations and Chromosomal Aberrations

During meiotic cell division, the failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate properly results in gametes with abnormal numbers of chromosomes. What is the precise biological term for this failure of separation?

  1. NondisjunctionAnswer
  2. B
    Translocation
  3. C
    Crossing over
  4. D
    Polyploidy

Answer

Nondisjunction is the failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate properly during meiotic cell division.
Nondisjunction specifically describes the failure of homologous chromosomes to separate during Anaphase I or sister chromatids to separate during Anaphase II of meiosis, resulting in daughter cells with missing or extra chromosomes.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the chromosomal process described in the stem.
The stem describes an error during meiosis where chromosomes or chromatids fail to separate during Anaphase I or Anaphase II.
Accurate biological terminology distinguishes structural chromosome changes from numerical errors caused by separation failures.
2
Differentiate between structural chromosomal aberrations, normal meiotic events, and nuclear division errors.
Translocation is a structural rearrangement, crossing over is normal genetic recombination, and polyploidy involves whole-genome duplication.
Failure of specific chromosome pairs or chromatids to separate during division is termed nondisjunction, which directly causes aneuploidy.

Key Concept

Nondisjunction and Aneuploidy
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Gene Mutations and Chromosomal Aberrations

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