In a typical mitotic division of a diploid somatic cell, what is the ploidy of the resulting daughter cells?

• A. Haploid (half the chromosomes of the parent cell)
• B. Tetraploid (double the chromosomes of the parent cell)
• C. Diploid (same ploidy as the parent cell)
• D. A mixture of haploid and diploid cells due to independent assortment

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that mitosis is a type of cell division that results in two daughter cells genetically identical to the parent cell.
2. Understand that a diploid somatic cell contains two sets of chromosomes (2n), one set inherited from each parent.
3. During mitosis, the chromosome number is maintained because the chromosomes are duplicated during the S phase and then equally divided during mitosis.
4. Therefore, each daughter cell receives the same number of chromosomes as the original diploid parent cell, preserving the diploid state.
5. Conclude that the ploidy of the resulting daughter cells after mitosis is diploid, meaning they have the same chromosome number as the parent cell.