Question

Acentric chromosomes, which lack centromeres, can form as a result of chromosome breakage or as a consequence of inversion with crossing over during gamete formation. What would happen to an acentric chromosome during cell division?

Answer 1

Answer:

It wouldn't be able to migrate to the cell's poles.

Explanation:

During anaphase, microtubules attach the chromosome's centromeres and start dragging them towards the poles of the cell. In mitosis, this causes the separation of both sister chromatids for each chromosome, and each chromatid migrates to a different pole. In meiosis, first each homologous chromosome is separated by the same process, and then the sister chromatids are separated during anaphase II. If a chromosome doesn't have centromeres, microtubules are unable to attach the chromosomes, and so the separation of either sister chromatids or homologous chromosomes can't take place.