A cell in the G1 phase of its cell cycle has 16 chromosomes and its DNA content is 2C. What will be the chromosome number and DNA content of this cell when it reaches the G2 phase?

Step-by-step solution

The cell cycle progresses in the sequence: G1 S G2 M. In the G1 phase, the given cell has 16 chromosomes and a DNA content of 2C. During the S (Synthesis) phase, DNA replication occurs. The amount of DNA per cell doubles, so the DNA content increases from 2C to 4C. However, there is no increase in the chromosome number. The chromosome number remains 16. When the cell enters the G2 phase, it retains the doubled DNA content and the same chromosome number. Therefore, in the G2 phase, the cell will have 16 chromosomes