What is the primary role of the centriole in the cell?

What is the primary role of the centriole in the cell?

• A. Energy production
• B. Protein synthesis
• C. Cell division
• D. Cellular respiration

Answer: (C)

The primary role of the centriole in the cell is in cell division. Centrioles are cylindrical structures composed of microtubules, and they play a critical role during mitosis and meiosis. They are involved in the formation of the spindle fibers, which are essential for separating chromosomes into the daughter cells during cell division. As the cell prepares to divide, the centrioles replicate and move to opposite poles of the cell, where they help organize and anchor the microtubules that will pull the chromosomes apart, ensuring that each new daughter cell receives the correct number of chromosomes. This function is vital for maintaining genetic stability and proper cell function, making it fundamental to the life cycle of a cell. While energy production, protein synthesis, and cellular respiration are essential cellular processes, these functions are carried out by other organelles such as mitochondria for energy production, ribosomes for protein synthesis, and the overall metabolic pathways for cellular respiration. Therefore, the centriole's specific and crucial role in cell division marks it as the correct answer in this context.

The primary role of the centriole in the cell is in cell division. Centrioles are cylindrical structures composed of microtubules, and they play a critical role during mitosis and meiosis. They are involved in the formation of the spindle fibers, which are essential for separating chromosomes into the daughter cells during cell division. As the cell prepares to divide, the centrioles replicate and move to opposite poles of the cell, where they help organize and anchor the microtubules that will pull the chromosomes apart, ensuring that each new daughter cell receives the correct number of chromosomes.

This function is vital for maintaining genetic stability and proper cell function, making it fundamental to the life cycle of a cell. While energy production, protein synthesis, and cellular respiration are essential cellular processes, these functions are carried out by other organelles such as mitochondria for energy production, ribosomes for protein synthesis, and the overall metabolic pathways for cellular respiration. Therefore, the centriole's specific and crucial role in cell division marks it as the correct answer in this context.