1. Objectives:
✤To identify the phases of mitosis
✤To learn what happens in each phase
Pictures in this presentation are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Mitosis has four phases, we will go through each phase. When going through each phase we
will cover two areas.
First, we will learn how to identify the phase by looking at it in both a diagram and an actual
cell.
Secondly, we will learn what is happening in the cell during that time.

2. The Phases of Mitosis
Start Here
(Click on each cell)
Metaphase
Anaphase
Prophase
Telophase
Quiz
Thursday, September 24, 2009
We will go through each cell and see what happens. At the end we will take a quiz.

3. Prophase
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Chromatin is DNA that is uncoiled and not wound around histone proteins. You cannot see
chromatin with a light microscope. When we look at onion cells, we can see chromosomes,
but not chromatin.
Why do you think the nucleus needs to break down?
The centrosomes are different between plant and animal cells. Animal cells have centrioles
which are tube like structures made of the protein tubulin.
Spindle fibers will eventually act like cables to move the chromosomes around.
When spindle fiber forms comes on go back to phases slide.

4. Prophase
✴1st stage of mitosis
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Chromatin is DNA that is uncoiled and not wound around histone proteins. You cannot see
chromatin with a light microscope. When we look at onion cells, we can see chromosomes,
but not chromatin.
Why do you think the nucleus needs to break down?
The centrosomes are different between plant and animal cells. Animal cells have centrioles
which are tube like structures made of the protein tubulin.
Spindle fibers will eventually act like cables to move the chromosomes around.
When spindle fiber forms comes on go back to phases slide.

5. Prophase
✴1st stage of mitosis
✴Chromatin condenses
down to form chromosomes
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Chromatin is DNA that is uncoiled and not wound around histone proteins. You cannot see
chromatin with a light microscope. When we look at onion cells, we can see chromosomes,
but not chromatin.
Why do you think the nucleus needs to break down?
The centrosomes are different between plant and animal cells. Animal cells have centrioles
which are tube like structures made of the protein tubulin.
Spindle fibers will eventually act like cables to move the chromosomes around.
When spindle fiber forms comes on go back to phases slide.

6. Prophase
✴1st stage of mitosis
✴Chromatin condenses
down to form chromosomes
✴The nuclear envelope
breaks down and disappears
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Chromatin is DNA that is uncoiled and not wound around histone proteins. You cannot see
chromatin with a light microscope. When we look at onion cells, we can see chromosomes,
but not chromatin.
Why do you think the nucleus needs to break down?
The centrosomes are different between plant and animal cells. Animal cells have centrioles
which are tube like structures made of the protein tubulin.
Spindle fibers will eventually act like cables to move the chromosomes around.
When spindle fiber forms comes on go back to phases slide.

7. Prophase
✴1st stage of mitosis
✴Chromatin condenses
down to form chromosomes
✴The nuclear envelope
breaks down and disappears
✴Centrosomes appear near
the middle of the cell and
move toward the poles of the
cell.
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Chromatin is DNA that is uncoiled and not wound around histone proteins. You cannot see
chromatin with a light microscope. When we look at onion cells, we can see chromosomes,
but not chromatin.
Why do you think the nucleus needs to break down?
The centrosomes are different between plant and animal cells. Animal cells have centrioles
which are tube like structures made of the protein tubulin.
Spindle fibers will eventually act like cables to move the chromosomes around.
When spindle fiber forms comes on go back to phases slide.

8. Prophase
✴1st stage of mitosis
✴Chromatin condenses
down to form chromosomes
✴The nuclear envelope
breaks down and disappears
✴Centrosomes appear near
the middle of the cell and
move toward the poles of the
cell.
✴Spindle fibers form.
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Chromatin is DNA that is uncoiled and not wound around histone proteins. You cannot see
chromatin with a light microscope. When we look at onion cells, we can see chromosomes,
but not chromatin.
Why do you think the nucleus needs to break down?
The centrosomes are different between plant and animal cells. Animal cells have centrioles
which are tube like structures made of the protein tubulin.
Spindle fibers will eventually act like cables to move the chromosomes around.
When spindle fiber forms comes on go back to phases slide.

9. Metaphase
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Metaphase is one of the easier phases to identify. The chromosomes are lined up in the
middle with each half positioned to go to opposite sides of the cell.
There are only two bullets here, then go back to phases slide.

10. Metaphase
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Metaphase is one of the easier phases to identify. The chromosomes are lined up in the
middle with each half positioned to go to opposite sides of the cell.
There are only two bullets here, then go back to phases slide.

11. Metaphase
✴2nd stage of mitosis
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Metaphase is one of the easier phases to identify. The chromosomes are lined up in the
middle with each half positioned to go to opposite sides of the cell.
There are only two bullets here, then go back to phases slide.

12. Metaphase
✴2nd stage of mitosis
✴Where the chromosomes line up in th
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Metaphase is one of the easier phases to identify. The chromosomes are lined up in the
middle with each half positioned to go to opposite sides of the cell.
There are only two bullets here, then go back to phases slide.

13. Anaphase
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Anaphase is the actual movement of the chromosomes to opposite sides of the cell. You can
tell when the chromosomes are moving, because the spindle fibers are hooked to the middle
of each chromosome so the tails of the chromosome trail behind. It looks like a V on its side
with the bottom of the V going toward the outer part of the cell.
Three bullets here, then go back to phases slide

14. Anaphase
✴3rd stage of mitosis
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Anaphase is the actual movement of the chromosomes to opposite sides of the cell. You can
tell when the chromosomes are moving, because the spindle fibers are hooked to the middle
of each chromosome so the tails of the chromosome trail behind. It looks like a V on its side
with the bottom of the V going toward the outer part of the cell.
Three bullets here, then go back to phases slide

15. Anaphase
✴3rd stage of mitosis
✴Begins when the
chromosomes begin to move
apart
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Anaphase is the actual movement of the chromosomes to opposite sides of the cell. You can
tell when the chromosomes are moving, because the spindle fibers are hooked to the middle
of each chromosome so the tails of the chromosome trail behind. It looks like a V on its side
with the bottom of the V going toward the outer part of the cell.
Three bullets here, then go back to phases slide

16. Anaphase
✴3rd stage of mitosis
✴Begins when the
chromosomes begin to move
apart
✴Ends when the
chromosomes reach the
poles of the cell and stop
moving.
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Anaphase is the actual movement of the chromosomes to opposite sides of the cell. You can
tell when the chromosomes are moving, because the spindle fibers are hooked to the middle
of each chromosome so the tails of the chromosome trail behind. It looks like a V on its side
with the bottom of the V going toward the outer part of the cell.
Three bullets here, then go back to phases slide

17. Telophase
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Telophase is the opposite of prophase. What is done during prophase is re-done in
telophase. For example, in prophase the nucleus breaks down, in telophase the nucleus is
re-formed. Can you give any other examples?
5 bullets here, then go back to phases slide.

18. Telophase
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Telophase is the opposite of prophase. What is done during prophase is re-done in
telophase. For example, in prophase the nucleus breaks down, in telophase the nucleus is
re-formed. Can you give any other examples?
5 bullets here, then go back to phases slide.

19. Telophase
✴4th stage of mitosis
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Telophase is the opposite of prophase. What is done during prophase is re-done in
telophase. For example, in prophase the nucleus breaks down, in telophase the nucleus is
re-formed. Can you give any other examples?
5 bullets here, then go back to phases slide.

20. Telophase
✴4th stage of mitosis
✴Chromosomes de-
condense and unwind back
into chromatin.
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Telophase is the opposite of prophase. What is done during prophase is re-done in
telophase. For example, in prophase the nucleus breaks down, in telophase the nucleus is
re-formed. Can you give any other examples?
5 bullets here, then go back to phases slide.

21. Telophase
✴4th stage of mitosis
✴Chromosomes de-
condense and unwind back
into chromatin.
✴The nuclear envelope re-
forms.
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Telophase is the opposite of prophase. What is done during prophase is re-done in
telophase. For example, in prophase the nucleus breaks down, in telophase the nucleus is
re-formed. Can you give any other examples?
5 bullets here, then go back to phases slide.

22. Telophase
✴4th stage of mitosis
✴Chromosomes de-
condense and unwind back
into chromatin.
✴The nuclear envelope re-
forms.
✴Centrosomes break down.
Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Telophase is the opposite of prophase. What is done during prophase is re-done in
telophase. For example, in prophase the nucleus breaks down, in telophase the nucleus is
re-formed. Can you give any other examples?
5 bullets here, then go back to phases slide.

23. Telophase
✴4th stage of mitosis
✴Chromosomes de-
condense and unwind back
into chromatin.
✴The nuclear envelope re-
forms.
✴Centrosomes break down.
✴Spindle fibers break down. Return to phases slide
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Telophase is the opposite of prophase. What is done during prophase is re-done in
telophase. For example, in prophase the nucleus breaks down, in telophase the nucleus is
re-formed. Can you give any other examples?
5 bullets here, then go back to phases slide.

24. 1.
2. 3. 4.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
This slide shows an actual cell. Look at the slide and see if you can identify each of the four
phases of mitosis in an actual cell. The tough one is metaphase. To identify metaphase you
will need to look for the middle of the chromosomes and see if they are lined up in the
middle of the cell. Don’t look at the legs, because they are flopped to the sides. I will give
you a few minutes to decide which number corresponds to which phase and then I will call on
some of you to see if we are correct.

25. Quiz
Question 1:
Which of the cells
represents
prophase? 1.
2. 3.
4.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Take out a blank sheet of paper.
Put your answers to the following questions on your blank sheet of paper.
When you are finished with a question, please put down you pen, so I can see when everyone is done with that question, before I move
on to the next question.

26. Quiz
Question 2:
Which of the cells
1.
represents
metaphase?
2. 3.
4.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Take out a blank sheet of paper.
Put your answers to the following questions on your blank sheet of paper.
When you are finished with a question, please put down you pen, so I can see when everyone is done with that question, before I move
on to the next question.

27. Quiz
Question 3:
Which of the cells
represents
anaphase? 1.
2. 3.
4.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Take out a blank sheet of paper.
Put your answers to the following questions on your blank sheet of paper.
When you are finished with a question, please put down you pen, so I can see when everyone is done with that question, before I move
on to the next question.

28. Quiz
Question 4:
Which of the cells
represents
telophase?
1.
2. 3.
4.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Take out a blank sheet of paper.
Put your answers to the following questions on your blank sheet of paper.
When you are finished with a question, please put down you pen, so I can see when everyone is done with that question, before I move
on to the next question.

29. Quiz
Question 5:
Which of the cells
represents the
phase in which
chromosomes 1.
form?
2. 3.
4.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Take out a blank sheet of paper.
Put your answers to the following questions on your blank sheet of paper.
When you are finished with a question, please put down you pen, so I can see when everyone is done with that question, before I move
on to the next question.

30. Quiz
Question 6:
Which of the cells
represents the
phase in which
chromosomes
begin to move
1.
apart?
2. 3.
4.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Take out a blank sheet of paper.
Put your answers to the following questions on your blank sheet of paper.
When you are finished with a question, please put down you pen, so I can see when everyone is done with that question, before I move
on to the next question.

31. Quiz
1.
2. 3.
4.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Take out a blank sheet of paper.
Put your answers to the following questions on your blank sheet of paper.
When you are finished with a question, please put down you pen, so I can see when everyone is done with that question, before I move
on to the next question.