A skin cell of a red fox has 34 chromosomes. You look at the cell under a microscope and see that it has 34 chromosomes and one nucleus. Several hours later, you look at the same cell again and see that it has double the amount of DNA and one nucleus. A little while later, you see that it has 68 chromosomes and two nuclei. What stage of the cell cycle was this cell in when you viewed it at each time point?
A) First view: G1; second view: G2; third view: telophase
B) First view: G1; second view: metaphase; third view: cytokinesis
C) First view: S; second view: prophase; third view: cytokinesis
D) First view: G0; second view: G2; third view: telophase

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

First view: In G1, the cell has a normal amount of DNA (34 chromosomes for a red fox). Second view: In G2, the cell has doubled its DNA in preparation for division but hasn't yet divided, so it still has one nucleus. Third view: In telophase, the cell has divided its chromosomes into two new nuclei (68 chromosomes split into two groups), preparing to fully separate into two cells.

A Skin Cell of a Red Fox Has 34 Chromosomes