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A chromatid is one half of a chromosome at a stage of the cell cycle when the chromosome contains two molecules of DNA.

A chromatid is like a twin; you can only use the term when there are two of them!

Before DNA replicates, each chromosome has only one molecule of DNA. After replication of the DNA, there are two DNA molecules in each chromosome. These become visible under a light microscope when the chromosomes condense during prophase of the next division.

Each chromosome then looks like an X. The left side of the X contains one DNA molecule (together with proteins) and the right side contains the other. Each half of the chromosome is a chromatid. At anaphase of the division, the two chromatids are pulled apart. From then on they are no longer referred to as chromatids, but as daughter-chromosomes.

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16y ago

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