Replication of cells with the same chromosomes by simple division is an example of what?

• A. Mitosis
• B. Meiosis
• C. Cytokinesis
• D. Binary fission

Answer: (A)

Mitosis is the process that creates two genetically identical daughter cells with the same chromosome number. Before mitosis, the cell duplicates its DNA so each chromosome has two sister chromatids. During mitosis, these chromatids are separated and distributed so each new cell receives a complete set of chromosomes, preserving the same genetic content as the original cell. After mitosis, cytokinesis splits the cytoplasm to form two separate cells, but the step that ensures identical chromosome content is mitosis itself. Meiosis reduces the chromosome number and introduces variation, so it isn’t the right fit here. Cytokinesis alone doesn’t handle chromosome separation, and binary fission occurs in prokaryotes with a different mechanism.