Final answer:
Mitosis is a multi-step process involving prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, resulting in the division of the nucleus and eventually the cell in cytokinesis. The correct order of mitotic events is prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase followed by cytokinesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Steps of Mitosis
Mitosis is a process that results in the division of the cell nucleus into two identical daughter cells. The correct order of events in mitosis is as follows:
- Prophase: Chromosomes condense and the mitotic spindle begins to form.
- Prometaphase: The nuclear envelope breaks down and the spindle fibers attach to kinetochores on the chromosomes.
- Metaphase: Chromosomes align at the metaphase plate.
- Anaphase: Sister chromatids separate and are pulled to opposite poles of the cell.
- Telophase and Cytokinesis: The nuclei re-form at each pole, chromosomes begin to decondense, and the cell divides (cytokinesis).
In anaphase, sister chromatids separate. If a cell skipped metaphase, the daughter cells might receive an incorrect number of chromosomes. Spindle fibers are significant in mitosis because they help segregate the chromosomes into the daughter cells.
Cytokinesis in animal cells involves the formation of a cleavage furrow that pinches the cell into two separate entities. The entire process of mitosis and cytokinesis is part of the cell cycle, which includes phases of growth (interphase), DNA synthesis, and cell division, effectively forming a continuous cycle.