Question

When fruit fly embryos first begin to develop, a large cell is generated that contains over 8000 nuclei that are genetically identical with one another. What is most likely responsible for this result?

A. The embryo passes through multiple rounds of S phases, but M phases does not occur.
B. This large cell becomes malignant and cancerous.
C. The embryo passes through multiple rounds of the cell cycle, but cytokinesis does not occur during M phases.
D. This large cell remains in the G0 phase for a long time.

Answer 1

The embryo passes through multiple rounds of the cell cycle, but cytokinesis does not occur during M phases.

Step-by-step explanation:

The cell cycle includes a series of events that make new cells from the existing cells. During the process, nuclear division during the M phase produces daughter nuclei. Nuclear division is followed by cytokinesis. Cytokinesis is the division of cytoplasm and results in the formation of daughter cells.

If a cell undergoing cell cycle forms daughter nuclei by mitosis, all the daughter nuclei are genetically identical. In the absence of cytokinesis, cytoplasm would not divide and the daughter nuclei will remain in the parent cell only. Repeated nuclear division without cytokinesis would produce multiple nuclei present in the parent cell.