 Homologous Chromosomes What is it? Homologous chromosomes are similar in shape and content and are separated during meiosis. In an organism that was produced by sexual reproduction, each parent contributed a set of chromosomes grouped into homologous pairs. Give me an example! Every cell in your body has exactly 46 chromosomes. Half were in an egg in your mother and the other half were carried to the egg by a sperm donated by your father. Each of the 23 donated by one parent corresponds in shape and content to a chromosome in the set donated by the other parent. These homologous chromosomes paired up to produce a unique you! Pretend each of our parents gave you a set of encyclopedias, each with 23 volumes. They both have similar information presented in a similar format, so the information in Vol. I from your Dad is similar to the information in Vol. I donated by your Mother. Each may have a listing for "aardvark", but they may each say slightly different things about "aardvarks". You have inherited two versions of "aardvark".
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