If gametes in human were produced by mitosis instead of meiosis then the number of autosomes and sex chromosomes in a somatic cell of an offspring would have been ____ and ____ respectively.
Kindly answer with a proper explanation.

Solution:
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If gametes in human were produced by mitosis instead of meiosis then the number of autosomes and sex chromosomes in a somatic cell of an offspring would have been 88 and 4 respectively.

Every generation, the number of chromosomes present in each of the cell would double itself. 

Meiosis is the process involving the reduction in the amount of genetic material. It comprises two successive nuclear and cell divisions, with a single cycle of DNA replication. As a result, at the end of meiosis II , four haploid cells are formed.
Meiosis maintains the chromosome number from generation to generation. It reduces the chromosome number to half so that the process of fertilisation restores the original number in the zygote. So, when gametes are formed via meiosis it's chromosome number is n = 23. 

However, if gametes were produced by mitosis the chromosome number would have remain unchanged. This implies the gametes would then have 2n = 46 chromosome (44 autosomes + 2 sex chromosomes in each gamete). 
During fertilisation, when the male and female gamete combine together the resulting zygote would then have a chromosome number = (2n + 2n) = 4n (that is, 23 × 4 = 92 chromosome.
If mitosis took place every subsequent generation, then the chromosome number would keep in doubling itself in every generation.
 
 

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