mitosis

• a parent cell divides to form two genetically identical daughter cells
• needed for growth and repair in multicellular organisms
• stages of mitosis

  1. prophase
  2. metaphase
  3. anaphase
  4. telophase
• prophase - chromosomes condense, become shorter and fatter. centrioles move to opposite poles of the cell, forming the spindle. nuclear envelope breaks down
• metaphase - chromosomes line up along the middle of the cell and become attached to the spindle via the centromere
• anaphase - centromeres divide, separating each pair of sister chromatids. spindles contract, pulling chromatids to opposite poles of the spindle, centromere first, so they appear v-shaped
• telophase - chromatids at opposite poles. they uncoil and become long and thin again, called chromosomes again. nuclear envelope forms around both groups of chromosomes - two nuclei. cytokinesis finishes. now two genetically identical daughter cells