Mitosis Metaphase Process

Mitosis Stages

• Metaphase is the longest stage of mitosis, lasting about 20 minutes.
• In metaphase, the centrosomes are at opposite ends of the cell, and the chromosomes convene to the metaphase plate.
• The chromosomes' centromeres lie on the metaphase plate, and each sister chromatid is attached to kinetochore microtubules from opposite poles.

Kinetochore Microtubules

• Kinetochore microtubules jerk the chromosomes back and forth.
• Each chromosome has 2 kinetochores, and each kinetochore is attached to kinetochore microtubules from opposite poles.

Anaphase

• Anaphase is the shortest stage of mitosis, lasting only a few minutes.
• In anaphase, the two sister chromatids of each pair suddenly part, becoming full-fledged chromosomes.
• The liberated chromosomes move toward opposite ends of the cell as their kinetochore microtubules shorten.

Telophase

• Telophase involves the formation of two daughter nuclei.
• The chromosomes become less condensed, and nuclear envelopes arise from the fragments of the parent cell's nuclear envelope.
• Mitosis, the division of one nucleus into two genetically identical nuclei, is now complete.

Cytokinesis

• Cytokinesis is the division of the cytoplasm.
• It begins in anaphase and continues in telophase, but doesn't reach completion until the following interphase begins.
• In animal cells, a cleavage furrow is formed, and a contractile ring of actin filaments deepens the furrow.
• In plant cells, the golgi apparatus produces vesicles that form the cell plate.

Prophase

• At the end of G2, the centrosome duplicates into two, and each centrosome features two centrioles.
• In prophase, the chromatin fibers condense into discrete chromosomes observable with a light microscope, and the nucleoli disappear.
• The mitotic spindle begins to form, composed of centrosomes and microtubules that extend from them.

Prometaphase

• In prometaphase, the nuclear envelope fragments, and the microtubules of the spindle invade the nuclear area and interact with the chromosomes.
• Microtubules extend from each centrosome toward the middle of the cell, and some attach to the kinetochores, becoming kinetochore microtubules.
• The cell elongates as the nonkinetochore microtubules lengthen.

Test your knowledge on the detailed process of mitosis metaphase. Learn about the alignment of chromosomes on the metaphase plate and the roles of kinetochore and nonkinetochore microtubules during this stage.