Question

What has to happen BEFORE mitosis can occur?

a) DNA in the cell gets tightly packaged into chromosomes
b) All of the above
c) Cell increases in size creating copies of organelles
d) DNA in a cell is copied

Answer 1

Prior to mitosis, the cell undergoes DNA replication, organelle duplication, an increase in cell size, and chromosome formation. These steps ensure each daughter cell receives a complete set of DNA.

Step-by-step explanation:

Before mitosis can occur, several critical events must take place within the cell. These events are part of the cell cycle, more specifically the interphase, which precedes mitosis and prepares the cell for division. The key preparatory steps are:

• DNA replication: The cell's DNA is replicated during the S phase of the interphase, ensuring each daughter cell will have a complete set of genetic information.
• Organelle duplication: The cell copies its organelles so that each daughter cell has all the components it needs to function.
• Cell growth: The cell increases in size and manufactures additional proteins and nutrients.
• Chromosome formation: DNA wraps around proteins to form chromosomes, each consisting of two identical sister chromatids held together by a centromere.

All these steps must occur before mitosis can proceed, ensuring the cell's genetic material is correctly distributed between the two resulting daughter cells.