Ask AI: what makes a fragment dicentric or acentric?

A fragment is dicentric if it contains two centromeres, which means that it will be pulled in different directions during cell division, leading to chromosomal abnormalities and possibly cell death. On the other hand, a fragment is acentric if it lacks a centromere, which means that it will not be pulled in any particular direction during cell division and may be lost or degraded over time. Therefore, dicentric fragments are more likely to cause genetic abnormalities and have more severe consequences than acentric fragments.