When a eukaryotic cell undergoes cellular division, creating two new daughter cells - an error (nondisjunction) in the step shown BELOW can impact the number of chromosomes in the daughter cells' nuclei.
Anaphase I - Definition, Process and Quiz | Biology Dictionary
What is this step?
a
Anaphase in mitosis
b
Telophase in meiosis
c
Prophase in endocytosis
d
Metaphase in mitosis
d
Metaphase in mitosis
d
Metaphase in mitosis
The step that can impact the number of chromosomes in the daughter cells' nuclei is option a) Anaphase in mitosis.
During anaphase in mitosis, the sister chromatids, which are the duplicated copies of each chromosome, separate and move towards opposite poles of the dividing cell. This ensures that each daughter cell receives the correct number of chromosomes. However, if there is an error called nondisjunction during anaphase, the chromosome pairs might not separate properly. As a result, one daughter cell may end up with an extra chromosome, while the other may lack a chromosome. This can lead to an abnormal number of chromosomes in the daughter cells, a condition called aneuploidy. An example of aneuploidy is Down syndrome, where an individual has an extra copy of chromosome 21.