What is the name of the process that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent cell?

The process that results in two daughter cells having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent cell is referred to as mitosis. During mitosis, a single cell undergoes a series of well-defined phases – prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase – leading to the separation of sister chromatids and ultimately resulting in two genetically identical daughter cells. This is essential for growth, tissue repair, and asexual reproduction in multicellular organisms.

In contrast, meiosis is a process that specifically reduces the chromosome number by half, producing gametes (sperm and eggs) with variation, rather than maintaining the same chromosome complement as the parent cell. Binary fission is a method of asexual reproduction primarily seen in prokaryotes like bacteria, where the cell divides into two parts, but it does not refer to the mitotic process in eukaryotic cells. Cytokinesis, while it involves the division of the cytoplasm after mitosis, is not the complete process that includes the division of the chromosomes themselves. Hence, the correct answer reflects the accurate process of cell division where genetic consistency is maintained across the daughter cells.