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organelles known as centrioles also begin migrating to the poles of the cell to begin growing the spindle fibers. The spindle fibers make up the spindle apparatus when complete, and are responsible for sorting and moving the chromosomes around the cell.

MITOSIS - METAPHASE
Metaphase, or "middle phase" happens next. Metaphase is easy to observe under the microscope, as all the chromosomes are arranged down the center, or equator, of the parent cell. Spindle fibers complete growing and attach to the centromere of each X-shaped chromosome.

MITOSIS - ANAPHASE
The third phase of Mitosis is Anaphase, or "apart phase." In anaphase, the centromeres divide and chromosomes are no longer X-shaped. Single copies of each chromosome are pulled by the spindle fibers to the poles of the cells.

MITOSIS - TELOPHASE
Finally, mitosis is completed with Telophase, or the "end phase." In Telophase, the two new nuclei have formed, each with a complete set of DNA, and a new nuclear membrane forms around each set.

CYTOKINESIS
The final stage of cell division is Cytokinesis, which literally translates to "cell splitting." Cytokinesis can begin in Telophase, but is thought to be a separate step not included in mitosis. In animal cells, because of the lack of a cell wall, cytokinesis occurs when the cell membrane pinches in, forming a cleavage furrow. This cleavage furrow deepens until it pinches the parent cell in half, making two identical daughter cells. In plant cells, the parent cell performs cytokinesis when the new cell wall begins to grow across the center, dividing the cell in half, each half complete with a nucleus and DNA. This newly forming cell wall is referred to as a cell plate, and it grows completely across. The cell membrane is divided by this new wall, and the parent plant cell is divided into two identical daughter cells.

Cytokinesis completes the mitotic life cycle of a cell. One parent cell has grown, duplicated its DNA, readied itself for division, split the nuclear contents during mitosis, and split the cell itself through cytokinesis.

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