Critical Thinking Activities - Chapter 10

Question 1. Meiosis, or duplication-division-division, is not the only way to reduce chromosome numbers by half. It is theoretically possible to simply divide the original diploid number of chromosomes to produce two haploid cells, and there is reportedly a primitive organism that does this. What would be a drawback?

Question 2. Bees and ants have a haploid-diploid system for determining the sex of offspring. The queen can withhold sperm in her seminal receptacle and the unfertilized egg develops into a female. One species of ant has just two chromosomes in the diploid male and one in the haploid female. What effect would such a low chromosome number have on the standard "advantages" of sexual reproduction?

Answers are available to instructors in the Instructor's Manual.
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