BRAINCAKEAnaphase
Anaphase is the stage of mitosis that follows metaphase. At the start of anaphase the centromere holding each pair of sister chromatids together divides.
The spindle fibres attached to the centromeres shorten, pulling the sister chromatids apart. The chromatids move to opposite poles of the cell, centromere first, so they take on a V-shape as they are dragged through the cytoplasm.
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Key terms in this lesson
- centromere
- The region of a chromosome where the two sister chromatids are held together and where spindle fibres attach.
- chromatid
- One of two identical copies of a chromosome, joined at the centromere, formed by DNA replication.
- spindle fibres
- Protein fibres that extend across a dividing cell and attach to the centromeres of chromosomes, pulling them apart.
More in The Cell Cycle
- The Cell Cycle
- Mitosis
- Prophase
- Metaphase
- Telophase
- Cytokinesis
- The Importance of Mitosis
- Cancer and the Control of Mitosis
All 12 lessons in The Cell Cycle · All AQA AS-level Biology topics