Question

If a cell has 24 chromosomes, and it undergoes mitosis to create two cells, how many chromosomes does the daughter cell have?

Answer 1

The daughter cells each have `24` chromosomes.

Explanation:

During interphase, the DNA in chromatin is replicated . In prophase, the chromatin condenses into chromosomes. Since the DNA was replicated during interphase, each chromosome in prophase is a copy of one chromosome. The chromosomes are now called sister chromatids and are held together at the middle, called the centromere.

During metaphase, the spindle fibres help the chromosomes move to the equator of the cell by attaching to the centromere of each chromosome.

In anaphase, each centromere splits, resulting in separated sister chromatids. Each sister chromatid is now called a chromosome . The chromosomes move to the opposite poles of the cell.

Once the chromosomes have reached the poles of the cell, a nuclear membrane forms around each set of chromosomes.

Cytokinesis is the process after mitosis. The cell divides the cytoplasm, producing `2` daughter cells. The important fact about mitosis is that the daughter cells are identical to the parent cell. The daughter cells will have the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell.