Answer:
chromosomes
Step-by-step explanation:
A cell must condense DNA into chromosomes before it can divide mitotically to form two new cells with identical copies of DNA.
The condensation of the DNA happens at the initial phase of the mitosis - the prophase - during which the DNA thickens and condenses to form chromosomes.
These chromosomes then align at the cell's plate during metaphase and they become separated into sister chromatids through the pulling of the spindle fiber at anaphase. Separated chromatids of the same chromosome are then transported to the opposite ends of the cell where they decondense before cytokinesis takes place.