Originally Posted by Bababooyee

I am not aware of anyone who makes a distinction between the two when it comes to this and related issues, but there very well may be; thus, so we're on the same page, here, I am using conception and fertilization interchangeably.




46 is the number I used because it is the norm. Don't focus on the specific number per se...a zygote, by definition, is formed, in part, when the chromosomes from the egg and sperm unite (ie when the embryonic genome is formed and exists as its own, unique genetic unity). So, if you would like me to restate my prior comment (only the part wrt chromosomes b/c I'm lazy): "...because the number of chromosomes a zygote has is consistent with the number of chromosomes seen across the 'human chromosome spectrum'..." OK, not perfect, but I am in a hurry and I think you get the gist.