27 HINTS TIPS What's the Difference Between a Homologous Chromosome and a Sister Chromatid? Why are the daughter cells at the end of meiosis I haploid? On a quick glance, they seem to have 46 chromosomes, just like the mother cell. This is where it's important to understand the difference between a homologous chromosome and a sister chromatid. A pair of homologous chromosomes consists of two unique pieces of genetic information: the maternal and paternal chromosomes. However, a pair of sister chromatids consists of one unique piece of genetic information-a single homologous chromosome and its identical twin. You can imagine this with a simple analogy. You go to an art show with a friend. You buy two different paintings of a beach. The two paintings represent a pair of homologous chromosomes in a diploid cell, as they each contain similar scenes but with some differences. Your friend, on the other hand, picks out one painting of a beach. She likes it so much she wants to buy two: the original and a copy. Her t