After fertilization, what process does the fertilized egg undergo?

• A. Meiosis
• B. Mitosis
• C. Fission
• D. Apoptosis

Answer: (B)

After fertilization, the fertilized egg, or zygote, undergoes mitosis. This is a crucial step in early development, as mitosis allows the zygote to divide and produce multiple cells that will eventually differentiate into various tissues and organs of the organism.

Mitosis is the process through which a single cell divides to produce two genetically identical daughter cells, maintaining the same chromosome number as the original cell. This is essential for growth and development, as it enables the zygote to increase in cell number and size in preparation for more complex developmental processes.

In contrast, meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half and is essential for the formation of gametes (sperm and eggs) rather than for growth. Fission typically refers to a process of asexual reproduction seen in some unicellular organisms where the cell divides into two separate organisms. Apoptosis is a programmed cell death mechanism that removes unnecessary or damaged cells and is not involved in the initial stages of development post-fertilization.