Final answer:
Taxol inhibits the mitotic phases of anaphase and telophase in cell division by stabilizing microtubules and preventing their depolymerization, which is crucial for chromosome segregation and formation of daughter cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Taxol, an anticancer drug extracted from the Pacific yew tree, is known to bind to microtubules, inhibiting their depolymerization during cell division. This action specifically disrupts the mitotic phases of anaphase and telophase by blocking spindle fiber microtubule depolymerization, which is essential for chromosome segregation and completion of mitosis. Microtubules are critical structures made of the protein tubulin that form spindle fibers during mitosis.
By stabilizing the microtubules, taxol prevents the normal breakdown of these structures that usually occurs at the end of mitosis. Taxol has the ability to pause the cell cycle by hindering the separation of chromatids during anaphase and, subsequently, the formation of daughter cells during telophase. This leads to the inhibition of cell division, which is a desired outcome in cancer treatment to stop the proliferation of cancer cells.