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       There once was a lonely 

cell and he was about to go 

through mitosis. He didn't 

know what mitosis was so he 

went to talk to his professor. 

Professor DNA was glad to 

help the little cell.

"The first phase," said the 

professor, "is Interphase. This is 

the stage before mitosis. 

Interphase copies chromosomes 

and creates 2 chromatids, these 

are held by the centromere. 

This is the stage you are in, 

little cell.

Do you understand?"

"Yes," replied the cell, "what is the next 

phase?"

"The next phase is prophase," answered 

the Professor. " Prophase is the first 

actual phase of mitosis. This is when the 

nuclear membrane divides and the 

centrioles migrate to the poles of the 

cell."

"What does that look like though 

Professor," asked the little cell.

"It looks like this, " said Professor DNA 

pointing to the whiteboard.

'"Whats the next phase of mitosis," asked the 

little cell.

"The next phase," replied the Professor, "is 

metaphase, the 2nd phase of mitosis. This is 

when the chromosomes line up on the equator. 

It looks like this."

"What are the lines connecting the 

chromosomes to the centrioles?"

"Those," said Professor DNA, " are the spindle 

fibers, we will talk more about them when we 

discuss anaphase."

The little cell was now really curious about the 

phases of mitosis and asked, "What happens next!"

"The next phase is anaphase, the third phase of 

mitosis." said the professor. "In this phase 

chromatids separate and move to opposite sides. 

Does that make sense?"

"Yes Professor DNA, it does! But its taking so long to 

complete mitosis."

"Yes it is," replied the professor, " it is a process 

that will take a little bit, but not near as long as its 

taking me to explain it."

"The 4th, and last phase of mitosis, is 

telophase," said the professor.

"What happens in telophase," asked the 

little cell.

The professor replied, "In telophase, the 

cell forms a nuclear membrane and 2 

nuclei, it looks like the outline of a figure 

8."

"Yes! It does, doesn't it," said the very 

happy little cell.

"Thanks Professor DNA, i better go now 

that we are done."

"Done? There is one last stage little cell. 

It is cytokinesis."

"But you said that telophase was the 

last stage of mitosis."

"Yes i did, cytokenisis is the stage a cell 

goes through after mitosis."

"Oh, I get it. What is cytokenisis," asked 

the little cell."

"Cytokinesis, is when a cell plate 

forms between 2 new cells in a plant, 

or a cell pinches off of the other in an 

animal," explained professor DNA.

"It all makes sense now thank you 

professor," replied the little cell. 

"Look! I'm going through mitosis!"

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