Final answer:
The mitotic spindle, composed of microtubules, helps segregate chromosomes to daughter cells during cell division. Intermediate filaments offer structural support, while the actin-based contractile ring is involved in cytoplasmic division. The correct statement is D.
Step-by-step explanation:
the mitotic spindle helps segregate the chromosomes to the two daughter cells. Microtubules are key components of the mitotic spindle, which is crucial during cell division, more specifically during mitosis and meiosis. The mitotic spindle functions to evenly divide the chromosomes between two daughter cells by attaching to chromosomes via kinetochore fibers.
As mitosis progresses, the spindle fibers pull the sister chromatids apart to opposite poles of the cell, ensuring that each new cell receives the correct number of chromosomes. In contrast, intermediate filaments, made up of proteins like keratin, provide structural support and resistance to tension, rather than being involved in chromosome segregation. The contractile ring, composed largely of actin microfilaments and myosin, is involved in cytokinesis, the division of the cytoplasm, not the nucleus.