What is the difference between homologous chromosomes and sister chromatids?

The distinction between homologous chromosomes and sister chromatids lies in the following: Homologous chromosomes are chromosome pairs present in diploid cells—one inherited from the father and one from the mother—identical in shape and size, which pair up during prophase I of meiosis and carry similar (but not identical) genetic information. In contrast, sister chromatids are two identical copies of a single chromosome, produced by DNA replication during the cell cycle’s interphase, and remain joined together at the centromere.