A researcher observed a reduction in the number of chromosomes during cell division for a microbe, he concludes that the microbe must be

Question

A.  Eukaryotic
B.  Prokaryotic
C.  An archaean
D.  a virus

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
· What type of thinking is required?
 
Gather Content
· What do you already know about cell replication? How does it relate to the question?

  Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
 
Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

A.  Eukaryotic

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        o You are observing a new microorganism under the microscope. You see a cell replicate its chromosomes and divide into multiple daughter cells, but each daughter cell has fewer chromosomes than the original parent cell. How would you classify this new organism?
· What type of thinking is required?
        o This question is an “apply” question. You need to use your knowledge about the different taxa (eukaryotes, prokaryotes, viruses) and how they replicate to answer the question about this new organism.
 
Gather Content
· What do you already know about cell replication? How does it relate to the question?
        o Cells can replicate in a number of ways, including: binary fission, mitosis, meiosis, and lysogenesis. Which of these types of replication is found in bacteria? in archaea? in eukarya? in viruses?
        o Review each of these types of cell replication and division. Which of them produces daughter cells that have fewer chromosomes than the original parent cell?

  Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        o First, figure out which type of cell replication produces daughter cells with fewer chromosomes than the parent cell.
        o Now that you’ve figured out which process you observed under the microscope, which group of organisms can do this process?
 
Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        o This question asked you to classify a new microorganism based on the fact that you observed the microorganism replicate and produce daughter cells that had fewer chromosomes than the original parent cell.
        o If you got the correct answer, great job!
        o If you got an incorrect answer, where did you get stuck?
            · There is only one type of cell replication that involves a decrease in chromosome number: meiosis. Meiosis produces daughter cells that each have half the chromosomes of the original parent cell. If the parent cell was diploid, it produces four haploid daughter cells.
            · Eukaryotes are the only organisms that do meiosis. Did you know that there are single-celled eukaryotes? In fact, most eukaryotes are single-celled.