Jellyfish are soft bodied, free swimming, aquatic animals. They reproduce sexually by releasing egg and sperm into the water. Th
e egg and sperm unite in fertilization and create a new jellyfish polyp. Which of the following best describes a jellyfish polyp?
The jellyfish polyp will be genetically identical to the parent jellyfish.
The jellyfish polyp will be a diverse combination of the parent jellyfish genetic material.
The jellyfish polyp will have twice as much genetic material as the parent jellyfish.
The jellyfish polyp will be a diverse combination of the parent jellyfish genetic material.
Explanation:
If jellyfish reproduced asexually (only one parent) it would be identical to that one parent, but both the sperm and egg from two separate jellyfish unite making it sexual and the parents each give 50% of the genes. There is no way that you can have twice as much genetic material as your parents. Even when there is some extra genetic material, causing a mutation, it is never twice as much genetic material.
