What Are the Phases of Mitosis?
The phases, or stages, of mitosis include interphase, prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase and cytokinesis. Each full mitosis process produces two identical daughter cells from one original cell.
During interphase, the original cell is enlarged and metabolic activity increases to prepare for the remaining phases of mitosis. Next, during prophase, chromatin inside of the nucleus of the cell begins to condense and becomes visible under a light microscope. The nucleolus disappears, and centrioles begin moving to the opposite ends of the cell during prophase as well. In the next phase, prometaphase, the nuclear membrane dissolves completely, and the chromosomes begin to move to the ends of the cell. During metaphase, spindle fibers align the chromosomes of the cell along the middle of the cell. The line of chromones is known as the metaphase plate. In the anaphase, the chromosomes pair up and move to the opposite ends of the cell with the help of kinetochores. Chromatids arrive at the poles of the cell, and new membranes begin to form around the paired chromosomes to make two new nuclei in the telophase. During cytokinesis, the fiber ring in the middle of the original cell invaginates and causes two identical cells to form.
