With n chromosomes per set, the number of possible metaphase alignments equals:

1. Each homologous pair has two possible orientations at the plate. 2. The pairs choose independently of one another. 3. There are two possibilities for orientation at the metaphase plate, so the possible number of alignments equals 2 to the power n, where n is the number of chromosomes per set. 4. Multiplying by two, or squaring n, would badly understate how fast the count grows. _Source: OpenStax Biology for AP(R) Courses (CC BY 4.0), Ch 11 'Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction', sections 11.1-11.2_