Final answer:
The process that maintains the correct number of chromosomes in each cell after cell division is mitosis, which occurs during the mitotic phase following DNA replication in interphase. Mitosis ensures the even distribution of chromosomes into new nuclei, preserving the diploid number, which in humans is 46 (23 pairs). Cytokinesis then divides the cytoplasm to form two genetically identical daughter cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cell Division and Chromosome Number
The process that ensures each daughter cell receives the correct number of chromosomes during cell division is called mitosis. This occurs during the mitotic phase of the cell cycle, after the cell has gone through interphase. During interphase, particularly in the synthesis phase (S phase), DNA replication occurs resulting in two identical sister chromatids for each chromosome. When mitosis begins, these chromatids are equally distributed into two new nuclei, ensuring that each daughter cell ends up with a diploid number of chromosomes.
Once mitosis is complete, cytokinesis takes place, dividing the cytoplasm and finalizing the creation of two genetically identical daughter cells. Interphase is comprised of three stages: G1, S, and G2 phase, and is followed by mitosis and cytokinesis. Human cells have a normal chromosome number of 46 (23 pairs), and this number remains constant through each division due to the precise duplication and division of chromosomes.