I had seen this asked before, and I have already read that, even though they duplicate, the chromosomes are not considered to “double” in number until the sister chromatids are separated. So, in a human cell, the number of chromosomes at the beginning of mitosis is 46, if I understand correctly.
However, I recently had an exam (high school) where this exact question was asked: “How many chromosomes are there in the first stage of mitosis?”
I wrote down 46, and he marked it as wrong. I tried to discuss this with him and he told me that I could bring him all the sources I wanted, but if I was wrong, he would fail me.
I don’t think the teacher will be convinced by anything that’s not a published textbook where my argument is EXPLICITLY stated.
So I’m looking for any recommendations on where to look. Maybe specific textbooks? Thanks to anyone who takes the time.