Syntelic attachment occurs when both sister chromosomes are attached to a single spindle pole.[1][2]
Normal cell division distributes the genome equally between two daughter cells, with each chromosome attaching to an ovoid structure called the spindle. During the division process, errors commonly occur in attaching the chromosomes to the spindle, estimated to affect 86 to 90 percent of chromosomes.[3]
Such attachment errors are common during the early stages of spindle formation, but they are mostly corrected before the start of anaphase.[4] Successful cell division requires identification and correction of any dangerous errors before the cell splits in two.[3] If the syntelic attachment continues, it causes both sister chromatids to be segregated to a single daughter cell.[5]