[Campbell Biology P.300] Which statement accurately differentiates between a chromosome, chr... | Practice Question
Which statement accurately differentiates between a chromosome, chromatin, and a sister chromatid in a eukaryotic cell?
A: Chromatin is the condensed form of a chromosome, and a chromatid is a replicated chromosome.
B: A chromosome refers to a single DNA molecule, while chromatin is the entire genetic material, and a sister chromatid is one half of a duplicated chromosome.
C: Chromatin is the complex of DNA and associated proteins, a chromosome is a distinct structure made of condensed chromatin, and a sister chromatid is one of two identical copies of a duplicated chromosome joined at the centromere.
D: A sister chromatid becomes an individual chromosome after separation, while chromatin is the decondensed form of the genetic material, and a chromosome always contains two sister chromatids.
Explanation
Chromatin is the entire complex of DNA and associated proteins. A chromosome is a distinct structural unit made of this chromatin, which can be condensed e.g., during mitosis or decondensed e.g., during interphase . A sister chromatid is one of the two identical copies of a duplicated chromosome, joined together at the centromere, which will separate during anaphase to become individual chromosomes.