Consider the following statements : 1. DNA replication takes place when chromatin is opened up. 2. Chromatin organises itself into rod-shaped chromosomes before cell division. 3. Both prokaryotes and eukaryotes have the same process for cell division. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Statement 1 is correct: DNA replication requires the genetic material to be accessible. Chromatin must decondense or "open up" (forming euchromatin) to allow enzymes like DNA polymerase to access the DNA strands for copying.

Statement 2 is correct: During the initial stages of cell division (prophase), chromatin fibers undergo high-level coiling and condensation to form distinct, rod-shaped structures called chromosomes. This organization ensures that DNA is safely and accurately distributed to daughter cells without entanglement.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Prokaryotes and eukaryotes have fundamentally different cell division processes. Prokaryotes (e.g., bacteria) lack a nucleus and typically divide through binary fission. Eukaryotes, which possess a nucleus and multiple chromosomes, undergo mitosis or meiosis, involving complex phases like spindle formation and nuclear envelope breakdown.