The table below lists the typical diploid number of chromosomes of several different organisms. Diploid Chromosome
Number
Goldfish 94
Potato 48
Human 46
Pea 14
Fruit fly 8
2
Which of the following is the best explanation for why the chromosome number is an even
number in each of these organisms?
A. It is only a coincidence; many other organisms have an odd number of chromosomes.
B. The diploid chromosome number is always even so that when mitosis occurs each new
cell gets the same number of chromosomes.
C. The diploid chromosome number represents pairs of chromosomes, one from each
parent, so it is always an even number.
D. Chromosomes double every time the cell divides, so after the first division, the number is
always even.