Cultivated American cotton plants are known to have 52 chromosomes.
Chromosome Count in Cotton Plants Explained
The chromosome count in different types of cotton plants varies, and understanding this variation helps clarify why cultivated American cotton has 52 chromosomes:
- Cultivated American Cotton: These plants have a diploid number (2n) of 52 chromosomes. This means they have 26 pairs of chromosomes within each cell. These 26 pairs consist of 13 pairs of larger chromosomes and 13 pairs of smaller chromosomes.
- Old World Cotton Plants: Old World cotton species possess 26 chromosomes (2n = 26), and all of these chromosomes are relatively large.
- Wild American Cotton Plants: Wild American cotton species also have 26 chromosomes (2n = 26), but in this case, all the chromosomes are smaller in size.
The genetic makeup of cultivated American cotton is a result of hybridization between the Old World and Wild American varieties. This blending resulted in the unique combination of chromosome pairs seen today.
In summary, the cultivated American cotton plant stands out due to its 52 chromosomes, distinguishing it from its Old World and Wild American relatives, each having 26.
