Check out Cells Alive! (click here)
The online animation demonstrates the stages of mitosis, the process of cell division in an animal cell.
- Interphase: Although cells appear inactive, they are highly active, with DNA replication, centriole division, and protein production occurring.
- Prophase: The nucleolus fades, chromatin condenses into chromosomes, and the mitotic spindle begins to form as the cytoskeleton disassembles.
- Prometaphase: The nuclear envelope breaks down, spindle fibers attach to kinetochores on chromosomes, and other spindle fibers overlap at the cell center.
- Metaphase: Spindle fibers align the chromosomes at the cell’s center.
- Anaphase: Spindle fibers shorten, separating chromatids and pulling them to opposite poles.
- Telophase: Daughter chromosomes reach the poles, and the spindle fibers disappear.
- Cytokinesis: The cell cleaves into two daughter cells, with microtubules reorganizing into a new cytoskeleton for the next interphase.