Final answer:
The condensed state of chromosomes during cell division is crucial for accurately delivering an intact package of DNA to each daughter cell, ensuring that each cell receives the correct genetic composition, a process which reduces the chance of errors during cell division.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, the highly condensed state of chromosomes during cell division does indeed favor the delivery of an intact package of DNA to each daughter cell. This condensation is a critical part of the cell cycle, particularly during the stages of mitosis and meiosis, where genetic material is segregated into daughter cells. When DNA is condensed into chromosomes, it ensures that the complex process of sister chromatids' separation and distribution to two new nuclei goes smoothly. Sister chromatids are the identical copies of DNA that are tightly associated at the centromere and are meant to end up in different daughter cells after cell division.
During mitosis, the condensed chromosomes align at the cell's equator during metaphase and are then segregated during anaphase. This highly organized alignment and separation are essential to ensuring that each daughter cell receives the exact genetic composition as that of the parent cell. Similarly, during meiosis, which occurs in the production of gametes, the condensation of chromosomes is vital to the proper segregation of homologous chromosomes and later, sister chromatids, into haploid cells.
In conclusion, the packaging of DNA into condensed chromosomes is a fundamental process that greatly reduces the chances of errors during cell division, errors which could lead to genetic abnormalities or cell death. Thus, the condensed state facilitates an accurate and effective distribution of genetic material to offspring cells.