During mitosis, what happens to sister chromatids?

• A. They remain joined at the centromere and are pulled together into one daughter nucleus.
• B. They replicate to form identical sister chromatids during prophase.
• C. They pair with homologous chromosomes and undergo crossing over.
• D. They separate at anaphase and move to opposite poles of the cell.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that sister chromatids are identical copies of a single chromosome, formed during DNA replication in the S phase of the cell cycle.
2. Recognize that during mitosis, sister chromatids remain joined at a region called the centromere until a specific phase.
3. Identify the phase called anaphase, during which the centromeres split and sister chromatids separate.
4. Know that once separated, each sister chromatid is considered an individual chromosome and moves toward opposite poles of the cell.
5. Conclude that this separation ensures each daughter cell receives an identical set of chromosomes, maintaining genetic consistency.