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Meiosis II halves the DNA content again, yet it is not called a reduction division. Why not?
AThe number of chromosome sets stays at one
BThe number of chromosome sets falls to zero
CThe number of chromosome sets rises to two
DThe number of chromosome sets falls by half
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. The number of chromosome sets stays at one
1. Reduction division is defined by a drop in ploidy, meaning the number of chromosome sets.
2. At the end of meiosis I each nucleus already holds one set.
3. Meiosis II separates the sister chromatids within that single set.
4. Each product still holds one complete set of chromosomes.
5. The amount of DNA per cell does fall, but the number of sets does not.
6. So meiosis II resembles a mitotic division rather than a reduction division.
7. Falling to zero sets would leave a cell with no genome at all.
8. Rising to two sets would be the opposite of what a meiotic division does.
_Source: OpenStax Biology 1e (CC BY 4.0), Chs 10 and 11, section 11.1 The Process of Meiosis_
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