In mitosis (in the absence of mutations), how similar are the two daughter cells produced from a single parent cell?

• A. They each have half the number of chromosomes compared with the parent cell.
• B. They are genetically identical to each other but contain a different set of chromosomes than the parent cell.
• C. They are genetically different from each other because crossing over occurs during mitosis.
• D. They are genetically identical to each other and to the parent cell, with the same chromosome number.

Answer: (D)