The five phases of mitosis are prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase in that order. Since mitosis involves the production of two genetically identical diploid daughter cells from one parent cell, there is only one cell division. Thus, all phases that dictate a Roman numeral refer to meiosis, which involves the production of four nonidentical haploid daughter cells from one parent cell as the result of two cell divisions. During anaphase II of meiosis, the sister chromatids are pulled to opposite poles of the cell, and the second round of cytokinesis begins.

Chromatin serves as a scaffold for DNA and helps regulate gene activity. Chromatin can be condensed, as euchromatin, or loosely packed, as heterochromatin. The compactness of chromatin determines its level of activity. When it is loosely packed, it can be acted upon by DNA replication and/or transcription enzymes, and those genes may be expressed. Centromeres hold sister chromatids together.

Sister chromatids are two identical copies of the same chromosome. They are attached to each other at a region called the centromere. Homologous chromosomes are not identical. Rather, they are chromosomes that look alike, and have the same genes at the same loci, but not necessarily the same versions of those genes. For example, we all have two copies of chromosome number 1. Assume eye color is coded on this chromosome. One copy may have the brown allele, while the other copy might have the green allele. Both chromosomes have loci that code for eye color, but they are not identical since one came from each parent.

During interphase the cell grows and duplicates its chromosomes in preparation for mitosis. Specifically, cell growth begins in G2 phase of interphase and chromosomal duplication (DNA replication) occurs in S phase. The cell continues to grow in G2 phase, and proofreads the DNA that was just replicated in S phase to make sure there are no errors, preventing mutations from being passed to daughter cells.

The four mitotic stages included among these choices are prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, which occur in that order. The initial stage, prophase, involves chromosome condensation from chromatin and the formation of the spindle apparatus from microtubules. In metaphase, chromosome pairs line up in the center of the cell at a location called the metaphase plate. Anaphase involves the shortening of the microtubular spindle fibers, which forces chromosome pairs to migrate to opposite ends of the cell. Finally, telophase involves the formation of two new nuclei. Following telophase is cytokinesis, the final separation of the cytoplasm and other organelles of the two cells, and the sealing of the plasma membrane. Some references will include interphase, a period of rest, chromosome replication, and cellular checkpoints. Though not a part of mitosis itself, interphase separates successive mitotic divisions and acts as a time of cellular rest. In any case, the only properly matched definition above was that of telophase, the final stage of mitosis.

During anaphase, the chromatids aligned on the equator of the cell are separated and pulled to opposite ends of the cell.

Prophase involves the condensation of chromatin into chromosomes and the removal of the nuclear envelope. The chromosomes align at the equatorial plate during metaphase and are pulled apart by the mitotic spindle fibers during anaphase. The chromatids begin to decondense during telophase, and the nuclear envelopes begin to form again.

During anaphase the sister chromatids are pulled apart by the mitotic spindle and move to opposite ends of the cell. The nuclear membrane begins to break down at the very end prophase and is completely deteriorated during metaphase, when the chromosomes align. It is still fully formed during early prophase. The membrane begins to reconstruct during telophase, but is not fully intact again until cytokinesis.

The S phase, which is when the cell duplicates its DNA, and the G1 phase, during which the cell grows, are phases of the cell cycle that are not involved in mitosis, known as interphase. The nuclear membrane is only disrupted during mitosis, and is thus intact during all stages of interphase.

Mitosis is the process that results in two identical daughter cells. The separation of sister chromatids is essential to ensure that both daughter cells receive a copy of each chromosome. The maintenance of ploidy is a way of describing that the daughter cells will have the same number of each chromosome as the parent cells.

Crossing over, or recombination, is a process that only takes place during meiosis and helps promote genetic diversity.

All these events occur in prophase, the first stage of mitosis. Metaphase involves the duplicated chromosomes being aligned along the metaphase plate, with each pair of sister chromatids attached to spindle fibers. During anaphase, the sister chromatids are pulled apart to opposite poles of the cell. Telophase is essentially the opposite of prophase: the DNA decondenses, the nuclear envelope begins to reform, and the mitotic spindle begins to disappear.

The plane along which the chromosomes align is called the metaphase plate and this event occurs during metaphase. At this point, the sister chromatids are ready to be pulled apart during anaphase. Ultimately, the products of mitosis are two identical (since sister chromatids are identical) diploid daughter cells.