Which cellular process results in two daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell?

The process that leads to the formation of two daughter cells, each with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell, is mitosis. In mitosis, the parent cell undergoes a series of phases that include prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. During this process, the chromosomes are duplicated and then evenly divided, ensuring that each daughter cell receives an identical set of chromosomes. This is crucial for growth, tissue repair, and asexual reproduction in multicellular organisms, as it maintains the chromosome number consistent across generations of cells.

Other processes mentioned are distinct in their results. Meiosis, for instance, reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in gametes (sperm and eggs) that are used in sexual reproduction. Binary fission is a form of asexual reproduction typically observed in prokaryotic organisms, such as bacteria, and it also leads to two new cells, but with the same chromosomal content as the original cell. Cloning refers to producing a genetically identical organism or cell, which does not directly describe the process of cell division itself like mitosis does.