How many cells (in an early embryo) would a series of five cell divisions produce?

The correct answer is not listed in the answers. It’s 32 cells total. It’s not a lot, but that is a lot for the small amount of time that five divisions would take. Six cell divisions would get you the final answer - 64 cells total. When a cell divides, it becomes two cells. First, the DNA replicates. Then, the cell organelles duplicate, and the cell swells as the cytoplasm increases too.

The final thing to happen is the cell membrane grows between the old organelles and the new ones. Once that’s done, the two cells separate as much as they can, and voila. They have two cells where there had been one. The cycle starts again, and continues indefinitely in some cells.