Matched pairs of chromosomes in a diploid organism are described as homologous, yet their genes are not identical because:
AEach copy comes from a different parent
BOne copy is always a copy of the other
COnly one copy carries any genes at all
DBoth copies are rewritten every division
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Each copy comes from a different parent
1. Matched pairs of chromosomes in a diploid organism are called homologous chromosomes.
2. Homologous means they carry the same genes in the same order.
3. Each copy of a homologous pair of chromosomes originates from a different parent, therefore the genes themselves are not identical.
4. The variation of individuals within a species is due to the specific combination of the genes inherited from both parents.
5. Even so, comparing the full sequence of a human homologous pair gives a difference of less than one percent.
_Source: OpenStax Biology for AP(R) Courses (CC BY 4.0), Ch 10 'Cell Reproduction', sections 10.1-10.5_
Related questions
At which stage does the nuclear envelope begin to break into small vesicles?Naming the mitotic stages in order gives prophase, prometaphase, metaphase and then:Conjoined sister chromatids become visible under a light microscope at a diameter of aboutHuman blood type is determined by two versions of a gene drawn from how many possible sequPlant cells complete cytokinesis differently from animal cells because they build a:In an animal cell, cytokinesis pinches the cell in two along a structure called the:Spindle microtubules that never attach to a chromosome are called:During anaphase the sister chromatids separate because which proteins degrade?