In mitosis, what is the size of a daughter cell relative to the size of the parent cell?

If an onion cell has 10 chromosomes, how many double chromosomes does an onion cell have at the start of metaphase?

Thanks!

Same size.

If they have 10 chromosomes, there will be 10 "double chromosomes" in the metaphase.

In mitosis, the daughter cells are generally about the same size as the parent cell. During the process of mitosis, the parent cell duplicates its DNA and other cellular contents, and then divides into two identical daughter cells. These daughter cells each inherit a complete set of genetic information from the parent cell but are typically smaller in size compared to the parent cell. However, it is important to note that the size of daughter cells can vary depending on the specific cell type and the stage of mitosis.

Regarding your second question, it requires some additional information. Typically, during metaphase of mitosis, chromosomes condense and align along the center of the cell before they are divided and distributed to the daughter cells. If an onion cell has 10 chromosomes, it is likely that these chromosomes are single, as each chromosome contains a single DNA molecule. So, at the start of metaphase, an onion cell would have 10 single chromosomes.

However, you mentioned "double chromosomes." If by "double chromosomes" you are referring to chromatids, which are the replicated copies of each chromosome, then it would depend on the specific stage of mitosis. In early stages of mitosis, such as prophase, chromatids exist as pairs joined by a structure called the centromere. Therefore, at the start of metaphase, if the onion cell is in an early stage of mitosis, it would have 10 pairs of chromatids, which means 20 individual chromatids.

It is worth noting that the number of chromosomes and chromatids can vary in different organisms and cell types, so it is important to consider the specific context when dealing with mitosis.