Congression occurs during

Options

A. Early prophase
B. Late prophase
C. Early metaphase
D. Late metaphase

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding the Question**: The question asks when congression occurs during the cell cycle. Congression refers to the process of chromosomes aligning at the equatorial plane of the cell during cell division.

2. **Analyzing the Options**:
- **Early Prophase**: During this phase, chromatin condenses to form visible chromosomes, but there is no alignment of chromosomes at the equator. Therefore, congression does not occur here.
- **Late Prophase**: In this phase, chromosomes are present but are randomly distributed in the cytoplasm. There is still no alignment at the equatorial plane, so congression does not occur here either.
- **Early Metaphase**: This is the stage where chromosomes begin to align at the equator of the cell. The spindle fibers contract and pull the chromosomes towards the metaphase plate, which is the defining characteristic of congression. Thus, this is the correct option.
- **Late Metaphase**: By this stage, the chromosomes are already aligned at the metaphase plate, but the process of congression itself has already occurred. Therefore, this option is also incorrect.

3. **Conclusion**: Based on the analysis, the correct answer is that congression occurs during the **early metaphase**.

**Final Answer**: Congression occurs during early metaphase.

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