8 multiple choice words

homologous chromosome

pairs of chromosomes (one from each parent) that are similar in size, shape, and gene sequence, carrying the same genes for the same traits at the same locations (loci) but potentially different alleles (versions of those genes)

chromosome

a thread-like structure in the cell nucleus made of DNA tightly coiled around histone proteins, containing the organism's genetic instructions (genes)

chromatin

the complex of DNA and proteins (primarily histones) that forms chromosomes in eukaryotic cell nuclei

centromere

constricted region on a duplicated chromosome that links two sister chromatids together and serves as the crucial attachment point for spindle fibers during cell division (mitosis/meiosis) to ensure correct chromosome segregation into daughter cells, forming the kinetochore complex for microtubule attachment. 

centriole

a barrel-shaped organelle, made of microtubules, crucial for cell division in animal cells and lower plants; they form the centrosome and organize spindle fibers that separate chromosomes

centrosome

the primary microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) in animal cells, crucial for cell division (mitosis/meiosis) by forming the spindle fibers that separate chromosomes

kinetochore

a specialized protein structure that assembles on the centromere of each chromosome, acting as the crucial attachment point for spindle microtubules during cell division (mitosis and meiosis) to ensure accurate separation and distribution of sister chromatids to daughter cells

chromatid

one of the two identical, parallel strands (DNA molecules) that make up a duplicated chromosome, joined at the centromere before cell division