During which cell division process do daughter cells have the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell?

Mitosis is the process of cell division that results in two daughter cells, each containing the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell. During mitosis, a single diploid cell (for organisms with two sets of chromosomes) undergoes a series of phases: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. At the end of this process, the genetic material is duplicated and partitioned equally into two nuclei, ensuring that each daughter cell inherits an identical set of chromosomes.

This preservation of chromosome number is essential for growth, repair, and maintenance in multicellular organisms. In contrast, meiosis is a type of cell division specifically for producing gametes (sperm and eggs) and reduces the chromosome number by half, which is necessary for sexual reproduction. Binary fission is a simpler form of cell division found in prokaryotes, which also results in identical cells but may not involve the complex stages seen in mitosis. Apoptosis refers to the programmed cell death process and does not involve cell division at all. Thus, mitosis is the only option where daughter cells maintain the same chromosome number as the parent cell.