Question

Your skin cells have 46 chromosomes. After they complete the cell cycle, how many chromosomes will be in the daughter cells? Explain.

Answer 1

Answer:

46

Explanation:

The skin cells with 46 chromosomes will each produce daughter cells with 46 chromosomes after they complete the cell cycle.

The skin cell is a vegetative cell that can only divide through mitosis. Mitosis is also referred to as equational division during which a cell produces two daughter cells that are both genetically and phenotypically similar to the parent cell.

During the cell division, at the anaphase stage to be precise, the chromosomes are separated into sister chromatids and sister chromatids of the same chromosomes move in the opposite direction to the poles of the cell before the cytoplasm of the mother cell divides to produce two independent daughter cells. Each chromatid in the new daughter cells then goes ahead to become a complete chromosome with two sister chromatids.

Hence, at the end of the cycle, each daughter cell ends up having the same 46 chromosomes as the parent cells.