Final answer:
The highest level of DNA condensation occurs during metaphase, not anaphase, thus the statement is false. In metaphase, chromosomes are highly condensed and aligned at the metaphase plate, which facilitates their segregation into daughter cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The highest level of DNA condensation occurs during the metaphase of cell division, specifically when chromosomes line up at the metaphase plate, and not during anaphase. Hence, the statement 'The highest level of DNA condensation occurs during anaphase' is False. During anaphase, sister chromatids separate and move toward the opposite poles of the cell. It is in metaphase that the chromosomes are most highly condensed to facilitate their proper segregation.
In terms of DNA condensation, the first level is maintained by histone proteins, around which DNA wraps to form nucleosomes. As condensation progresses, multiple nucleosomes coil further, forming a 30 nm fiber structure, which then undergoes higher-order packing to form the metaphase chromosomes observed in mitosis.
It is important to note that during cytokinesis in animal cells, chromosomes do not line up along the equator of the cell; this process is characterized by the physical separation of the cytoplasm into two daughter cells.