Question

The long and short arms of chromosomes are designated respectively as

• A. $p$ and $q$arms
• B. $q$ and $p$ arms
• C. $m$ and $p$ arms
• D. $l$ and $s$ arms

Answer 1

The correct option is B $q$ and $p$ arms

The chromosome has two arms long and short arms which are separated from each other by a centromere. p and q are the international codes that are given to represent the long and short arm respectively. "p" comes from the French word petit which means small. The letter "q" was selected to signify the long arm merely because "q" is the next letter of the alphabet, alternatively, it is sometimes said that "q" stands for queue meaning tail in French. Thus, the correct answer is option B.