What happens to chromosomes at the end of replication in eukaryotic cells?

At the end of replication in eukaryotic cells, chromosomes undergo a critical transformation. Each chromosome consists of tightly coiled DNA associated with proteins. During the S phase of the cell cycle, DNA replication occurs, resulting in each chromosome being duplicated. At this point, the chromosomes consist of two identical sister chromatids joined at the centromere.

After replication, the length of the chromosomal DNA remains essentially the same due to the way DNA is replicated. The key event that prevents them from becoming longer during replication is the role of specialized structures at the ends of chromosomes called telomeres. Telomeres are repetitive nucleotide sequences that protect the ends of chromosomes from degradation. However, with each round of DNA replication, these telomeres can shorten slightly due to the inability of DNA polymerase to fully replicate the very ends of linear DNA molecules.

In eukaryotic cells, the result of DNA replication is an arrangement of chromosomes with two identical sister chromatids that are ready to be separated during the subsequent mitotic phase. Thus, while the chromatids themselves are a double representation of the original DNA, the specifics of telomere dynamics and the mechanisms involved in DNA replication are what explain the phenomenon where chromosomes get shorter over time, especially with