Final answer:
During cell division, sister chromatids and the mitotic spindle apparatus are essential for correctly passing chromosomes to daughter cells. This occurs in mitosis and meiosis, through specific phases, involving the centromere, kinetochore, and microtubules.
Step-by-step explanation:
To ensure chromosomes are passed to daughter cells, two main components are required: sister chromatids and the mitotic spindle apparatus, which includes microtubules, centromeres, and kinetochores. The process of passing chromosomes to daughter cells occurs during cell division, specifically in the phases of mitosis and meiosis.
In mitosis and meiosis II, chromosomes first replicate during the S phase of the cell cycle, where each chromosome is composed of two identical sister chromatids held together at a region known as the centromere. The centromere serves as the attachment site for the kinetochore, a protein complex that connects the chromatids to the spindle fibers. These fibers are part of the microtubule network that forms the mitotic spindle, which is responsible for pulling the sister chromatids apart and guiding them to the opposite poles of the cell.
The correct chronological order of the mitotic events involving these components is as follows:
Kinetochore formation at the centromere of sister chromatids.
Attachment of the mitotic microtubules to the kinetochore.
Sister chromatids alignment at the metaphase plate.
Separation of sister chromatids.