During mitosis, what is the chromosome number of the daughter cells compared to the original parent cell?

• A. The daughter cells have double the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.
• B. The daughter cells have no chromosomes.
• C. The daughter cells have half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.
• D. The daughter cells have the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that mitosis is a type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number of chromosomes as the original parent cell.
2. Understand that before mitosis begins, the parent cell duplicates its chromosomes during the S phase of the cell cycle, so each chromosome consists of two sister chromatids.
3. During mitosis, the sister chromatids are separated and distributed equally to the two daughter cells.
4. Because each daughter cell receives one chromatid from each chromosome pair, the chromosome number in each daughter cell remains the same as the parent cell's original chromosome number.
5. Therefore, the chromosome number of the daughter cells after mitosis is identical to that of the parent cell, ensuring genetic consistency.