What is the function of a centromere?
Correct answer: B. To hold sister chromatids together
- A. To protect the ends of chromosomes
- B. To hold sister chromatids together
- C. To carry genetic information
- D. To initiate DNA replication
Explanation
The centromere joins the two sister chromatids and carries the kinetochore, the protein plate that the spindle microtubules attach to during division. Protecting the chromosome ends is the job of the telomeres, which is the closest distractor here. Genetic information is carried along the whole length of the DNA rather than at one point, and replication begins at origins distributed across the chromosome.
This question appeared on the UHS MDCAT 2025 paper, which you can sit online with every answer explained.
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About Chromosomes
Chromosomes are DNA-protein structures that carry genes and become visible during cell division. Coverage includes chromatin, centromeres, sister chromatids, homologous chromosomes, chromosome number, and the distinction between diploid and haploid cells, with links to DNA replication, mitosis and meiosis.
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