Final answer:
In the M phase of the cell cycle, mitosis and cytokinesis occur, leading to the formation of two identical daughter cells. Mitosis is divided into five stages that orchestrate the division of the nucleus, and cytokinesis divides the cytoplasm.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the M phase (cell division), a cell completes the final processes necessary to form two identical daughter cells. The M phase includes both mitosis and cytokinesis. Mitosis itself is divided into several stages: prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.
At the start of mitosis, during prophase, the chromosomes condense and the nuclear envelope breaks down. In prometaphase, microtubules attach to the chromosomes, which have already duplicated, at the kinetochores. In metaphase, the chromosomes align at the cell's equatorial plate. Anaphase follows, where the sister chromatids separate and move towards opposite poles of the cell. Finally, in telophase, nuclear membranes form around each set of chromosomes, which then decondense.
The division of the cell's cytoplasm, called cytokinesis, concludes the cell division process, resulting in two separate cells. Cytokinesis typically occurs at the end of telophase, ensuring that the cellular components and duplicated chromosomes are evenly distributed to the daughter cells.