How many prime factors does a prime number possess?

A prime number is defined as a natural number greater than one that cannot be formed by multiplying two smaller natural numbers. In other words, a prime number has exactly two distinct positive divisors: one and itself. For example, the number 5 is prime because its only divisors are 1 and 5.

The key point is that since a prime number can only be divided evenly by one and itself, it will always have precisely one unique prime factor, which is the number itself. Therefore, when asked how many prime factors a prime number possesses, the answer is that it has one prime factor. This characteristic is essential to understanding what makes a number prime and differentiating it from composite numbers, which have more than two factors.

This concept is foundational in number theory and essential for more complex mathematics encountered in advanced problem-solving, such as those found on the GMAT.