Final answer:
The process by which nuclear material is duplicated to produce two identical daughter cells is known as DNA replication, which occurs before cell division and ensures each daughter cell receives an exact copy of DNA from the parent cell.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process by which the nuclear material (chromosomes) is duplicated to make two identical daughter cells is known as DNA replication. During the cell cycle, DNA replication is a critical event that precedes cell division, ensuring that each daughter cell receives an exact copy of the DNA from the parent cell. This is different from transcription or translation, which involve the conversion of DNA to RNA and RNA to proteins, respectively, and from recombination which is the exchange of genetic material between different molecules of DNA.
Before a cell divides to form two daughter cells, its DNA is replicated during a phase called the Synthesis phase (S phase) of the cell cycle. This results in two identical chromosomes, one for each daughter cell. DNA replication involves unwinding the DNA molecule and copying the genetic information.
In eukaryotic cells, after replication, the cell undergoes mitosis, a process where the nucleus divides and the replicated DNA is sorted and separated to ensure that each daughter cell receives a diploid number of chromosomes. Following mitosis, cytokinesis takes place, which is the division of the cytoplasm, resulting in two genetically identical daughter cells.