Question

a female baby chipmunk has 38 chromosomes. how many chromosomes does the baby chipmunk inherit from its mother, and why?
40 chromosomes; babies require extra chromosomes.
38 chromosomes; the baby is also female.
19 chromosomes; one - half of the genetic material in babies comes from the mother.
2 chromosomes; genetic material in the baby replicates over time.

Explanation:

In sexual reproduction, offspring inherit half of their chromosomes from the mother and half from the father. Since the baby chipmunk has 38 chromosomes in total, half of 38 is 19. This is because during fertilization, the egg (from the mother) and the sperm (from the father) each contribute half of the genetic material (chromosomes) to form the zygote (the initial cell of the offspring).

Answer:

19 chromosomes; one - half of the genetic material in babies comes from the mother.