A student states: 'Meiosis produces cells that are all genetically identical to each other.' Evaluate this statement.

WJEC GCSE Biology (Wales) — 2.2.1 Mitosis and meiosis · Evaluate · 4 marks · View as Markdown

Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).

Model answer (4 marks)

The statement is incorrect. Meiosis produces cells that are genetically different from each other because of crossing‑over and independent assortment during prophase I, and because each of the two meiotic divisions creates new combinations of alleles. In addition, meiosis produces four daughter cells, not two, and each daughter cell is haploid, containing half the chromosome number of the parent cell.

Examiner tips

  • State the statement is false first. Explain genetic variation (crossing‑over, independent assortment). Mention the number of cells produced. Highlight haploidy of the products.

Common mistakes

  • Claiming meiosis produces identical cells. Forgetting to mention the four cells. Saying the cells are diploid instead of haploid.

Mark scheme (4 marks)

  1. The statement is incorrect / false
  2. Meiosis produces cells that are genetically different from each other
  3. Meiosis produces four daughter cells (not two)
  4. The cells produced by meiosis are haploid, containing half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell

Key terms in this question

meiosis · genetically identical

Related

More Mitosis and meiosis questions

▶ Try answering this question with AI marking (free) →