why does the daughter cell contain the same amount of genetic material in the original cell
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The reason a daughter cell contains the same amount of genetic material as the original cell is due to the process of cell division, specifically mitosis. Mitosis is the mechanism by which eukaryotic cells reproduce to form two genetically identical daughter cells, each with the same amount of genetic material as the parent cell.
Before mitosis begins, the cell undergoes a phase called interphase, which consists of three stages: G1 (cell growth), S (DNA replication), and G2 (final preparations for cell division). During the S phase, the cell’s DNA is replicated, meaning that each chromosome is copied. By the end of interphase, the cell contains twice the usual amount of genetic material because it has two identical copies of each chromosome, which are still in the form of chromatin (a loose, uncoiled state).
Once interphase is complete, the cell enters mitosis, a process that ensures the genetic material is evenly distributed between the two daughter cells. Mitosis is divided into four main stages:
- Prophase: The chromatin condenses into visible chromosomes, and the nuclear envelope breaks down.
- Metaphase: The chromosomes line up at the center of the cell.
- Anaphase: The sister chromatids (the two identical copies of each chromosome) are pulled toward opposite ends of the cell.
- Telophase: New nuclear envelopes form around each set of chromosomes, now at opposite poles of the cell.
Following mitosis, the cell undergoes cytokinesis, where the cytoplasm divides, resulting in two daughter cells. Each daughter cell receives one complete set of chromosomes, identical to the original cell. Therefore, after mitosis, the genetic material in each daughter cell is the same as in the parent cell, ensuring continuity of genetic information across generations of cells.
