A pair of identical chromatids held together by a centromere is called?

• A. Centromere
• B. Chromatid
• C. Chromosome
• D. Sister Chromatid

Answer: (D)

When DNA is replicated, each chromosome ends up as two identical DNA molecules still attached to each other at the centromere. This pair of identical copies is known as sister chromatids. They are exact duplicates and stay connected until they are pulled apart during cell division, specifically in anaphase of mitosis (or meiosis II). The centromere is simply the constricted region that holds the two copies together, not the pair itself. A single chromatid is one copy, while a chromosome can refer to either a single chromatid or a paired structure depending on the stage, but the term for the two identical copies held together by the centromere is sister chromatids.