Mitosis

What is mitosis?
Mitosis is nuclear division plus cytokinesis, and produces two identical daughter cells
during prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. Interphase is often
included in discussions of mitosis, but interphase is technically not part of mitosis, but
rather encompasses stages G1, S, and G2 of the cell cycle.
Phases:-
The cell is engaged in metabolic activity and performing its prepare
Interphase for mitosis (the next four phases that lead up to and include nuclear
division). Chromosomes are not clearly discerned in the nucleus,
although a dark spot called the nucleolus may be visible. The cell
may contain a pair of centrioles (or microtubule organizing centers
in plants) both of which are organizational sites for microtubules.

During prophase, the replicated chromosomes undergo extensive

Prophase condensation (i.e., coiling). The chromosomes are greatly thickened and
shortened but are still contained within the nuclear envelope. Late in
prophase, within about 6 min of nuclear envelope breakdown, the mitotic
spindle begins to grow, and two triangular 'clear zones' become visible,
with one on each side of the nucleus. In three dimensions, the clear
zones are actually conical and the nucleus is spherical. With continued
spindle expansion, the nucleus rapidly becomes compressed and
appears eliptical in the optical section provided by differential interference
contrast optics. Prophase ends with the sudden dispersion of the nuclear
envelope (nuclear envelope breakdown), and the chromosomal mass is
no longer occupying a discrete, spherically-shaped zone in the cell.
Prophase in stamen hair cells can last for as long as several hours. It can
also be observed by downloading the movie.
Once the nuclear envelope has broken down, the spindle microtubules
Prometaphase and the chromosomes are no longer separated by a (double) membrane
boundary. The microtubules begin to interact with the chromosomes, and
the chromosomes undergo what is known as congressional movement,
where they ultimately end up with their centromeres all situated in middle
of the spindle, at a site known as the metaphase plate. Each kinetochore
of the replicated chromosome is pointed toward one side of the spindle;
later, in anaphase, each kinetochore moves to one of the two spindle pole
regions as the daughter chromosome The congression of chromosomes
and the alignment of centromeres on the metaphase plate represent
essential prerequisites for the orderly separation of the replicated genome
into two equal parts. The mechanisms underlying congression are under
intense scrutiny.
The replicated chromosomes converge toward the center of the spindle,
Metaphase and once they get there, significant movements cease. On either side of
each centromere are sites for microtubule attachment to the
 chromosome; electron microscopists called these plate-like structures
kinetochores. The kinetochores are not visible with the light microscope.
At several points during metaphase, the chromatid arms may unwind from
each other. This unwinding is especially apparent late in metaphase, just
1 or 2 minutes before the chromatids will split apart at their centromeres,
with each replicated chromosome giving rise to two daughter
chromosomes. The interval between nuclear envelope breakdown and
anaphase onset includes prometaphase and metaphase, and requires
approximately 33 minutes.
Anaphase Anaphase commences with the initial splitting of sister chromatids at their
centromeres. These daughter chromosomes then begin to separate from
each other, each moving away from the metaphase plate and toward one
of the two spindle pole regions. The rate of chromosome separation in
stamen hair cells is approximately 1.4 micrometers/min. The mechanisms
that control chromosome separation clearly involve the interactions
between microtubules and components in or near the kinetochore.
Anaphase chromosomal movement is a topic of intense interest in the
Cell Biology research community..
About 19 minutes after anaphase onset, the chromosomes have
Telophase moved close to the spindle pole regions, and the spindle midzone
begins to clear. In this middle region of the spindle, a thin line of
vesicles begins to accumulate. The vesicle aggregation event is a
harbinger to the assembly of a new cell wall that will be positioned
midway along the length of the original cell. It will form the
boundary between the newly separating daughter cells. Vesicles
movement and aggregation in the spindle midzone is facilitated by
a microtubule network known as a phragmoplast. This basket
shaped structure forms in late anaphase or early telophase and
disassembles about the time that the vesicles begin to coalesce.

Cytokinesis In animal cells, cytokinesis results when a fiber ring composed of a

protein called actin around the center of the cell contracts pinching
the cell into two daughter cells, each with one nucleus. In plant
cells, the rigid wall requires that a cell plate be synthesized between
the two daughter cells.

Mitosis: Labeled Diagram