If there are 20 centromeres in a cell at anaphase, how many chromosomes are there in each daughter cell following cytokinesis?
Correct answer: A. 10
- A. 10
- B. 20
- C. 30
- D. 40
Explanation
If there are 20 centromeres in a cell at anaphase, it indicates that the chromosomes have already undergone separation and are moving towards opposite poles of the cell. Anaphase is the stage of mitosis or meiosis where sister chromatids (each with one centromere) are pulled apart. Since each centromere corresponds to one chromosome (or chromatid), and during anaphase, each chromatid moves to opposite poles, we can infer that there are 20 chromosomes total in the cell at anaphase. Following cytokinesis, each daughter cell receives a portion of the chromosomes. Therefore, each daughter cell would receive half of the total number of chromosomes present in the parent cell at anaphase. So, each daughter cell would have 20/2 = 10 chromosomes.
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Animal, plant, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are compared through their membranes, cell walls, nuclei and cytoplasmic organelles. The work includes the structures and functions of mitochondria, chloroplasts, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and lysosomes, as well as chromosome organization and the distinction between chromatin and chromosomes.
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