Mitosis diagram with labels

Mitosis is the division of a nucleus into two genetically identical nuclei. In this labeled diagram an animal cell with four chromosomes (two homologous pairs) passes through interphase, prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase, and cytokinesis then splits the cytoplasm to give two daughter cells. Each daughter cell keeps the same four chromosomes as the parent cell, because the sister chromatids of every chromosome are pulled to opposite poles in anaphase.

Last updated 26 October 2026

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Labeled diagram of mitosis in an animal cell with two homologous chromosome pairs (maternal red, paternal blue). Seven cells show interphase (chromatin, nucleolus), prophase (chromosome, centrosome), prometaphase (spindle fibres, nuclear envelope fragments), metaphase (metaphase plate), anaphase, telophase (nuclear envelope, cleavage furrow) and cytokinesis (daughter cells), with an enlarged chromosome showing sister chromatids and the centromere. — Mitosis diagram by LabCanvas (labcanvas.com), CC BY 4.0

Mitosis diagram without labels — Mitosis diagram by LabCanvas (labcanvas.com), CC BY 4.0

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Parts of the mitosis and what they do

Mitosis: labelled parts
#	Part	What it is or does
1	Interphase	The non-dividing part of the cell cycle (G1, S and G2): the cell grows and copies its DNA in S phase, so it enters mitosis with every chromosome made of two sister chromatids.
2	Prophase	Chromatin condenses into visible chromosomes, the nucleolus disappears, and the centrosomes move apart as the mitotic spindle starts to form.
3	Prometaphase	The nuclear envelope breaks into fragments, and spindle microtubules attach to the kinetochores at each centromere.
4	Metaphase	The chromosomes, now at their most condensed, line up in a single row on the metaphase plate with sister chromatids facing opposite poles.
5	Anaphase	The cohesin holding sister chromatids together is broken down; the chromatids separate and are pulled to opposite poles while the cell lengthens.
6	Telophase	The chromosomes reach the poles and start to decondense, the spindle breaks down, and a nuclear envelope (with a nucleolus) re-forms around each set.
7	Cytokinesis	The cytoplasm divides; in animal cells a ring of actin filaments pinches the cell in two at the cleavage furrow, giving two daughter cells.
8	Chromatin	DNA wound around proteins, loosely packed in the interphase nucleus so genes can be read and the DNA copied.
9	Nucleolus	Dense region inside the nucleus where ribosomes are assembled; it disappears in prophase and reappears in telophase.
10	Centrosome	The main microtubule-organising centre of an animal cell (a pair of centrioles); it is copied before mitosis and each copy forms one spindle pole.
11	Chromosome	A condensed DNA molecule; during prophase and metaphase each chromosome is made of two identical sister chromatids.
12	Spindle fibres	Microtubules of the mitotic spindle: some attach to kinetochores and move chromosomes, others overlap between the poles and push them apart.
13	Nuclear envelope fragments	Pieces of the double membrane around the nucleus, which breaks up in prometaphase so the spindle can reach the chromosomes.
14	Metaphase plate	The imaginary plane midway between the two spindle poles where the chromosomes line up at metaphase.
15	Nuclear envelope	The double membrane that encloses the nucleus; it re-forms around each set of chromosomes in telophase.
16	Cleavage furrow	The groove that forms where the contractile ring pinches the membrane inward during cytokinesis of an animal cell.
17	Daughter cells	The two cells made by mitosis and cytokinesis; each has the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent cell.
18	Sister chromatids	The two identical copies of a chromosome made in S phase, held together at the centromere until anaphase.
19	Centromere	The constricted region where sister chromatids are joined; kinetochore proteins assemble on it and spindle microtubules attach there.

How to label a mitosis diagram

Draw the cells in orderDraw seven outlines in a row or two rows: interphase, prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase and cytokinesis. Make anaphase longer and pinch telophase in the middle.
Pick one chromosome set and keep itUse four chromosomes: a long pair and a short pair, one of each pair in a maternal colour and one in a paternal colour. Every cell must show the same four, which is the easiest mark to lose.
Show the DNA changing shapeInterphase gets loose squiggles of chromatin and a nucleolus; prophase gets X-shaped chromosomes inside a nucleus; prometaphase and metaphase lose the nucleus.
Add the spindlePut a centrosome at each pole from prometaphase on, with spindle fibres running to the centromere of every chromosome, and a dashed metaphase plate down the middle in metaphase.
Split the chromatidsIn anaphase draw single chromatids as V shapes with the centromere leading toward each pole; both poles get one copy of all four chromosomes.
Finish and labelRe-form a nuclear envelope around each set in telophase, draw the cleavage furrow, then label each phase name under its cell and point leader lines at each structure.

Mitosis vs meiosis

Feature	Mitosis	Meiosis
Purpose	Growth, repair and asexual reproduction	Making haploid cells (gametes or spores) for sexual reproduction
Divisions after one round of DNA copying	One	Two (meiosis I and meiosis II)
Cells produced	Two	Four
Chromosome number	Same as the parent (diploid stays diploid)	Halved (diploid to haploid)
Genetic makeup of the cells	Identical to each other and to the parent	Different from each other and from the parent
Homologous chromosomes pair (synapsis)	No	Yes, in prophase I
Crossing over	No	Yes, between non-sister chromatids in prophase I
Lines up on the metaphase plate	Individual chromosomes	Homologous pairs (metaphase I), then individual chromosomes (metaphase II)
Separates in anaphase	Sister chromatids	Homologous chromosomes (anaphase I), then sister chromatids (anaphase II)

What happens in each phase of mitosis

Interphase is not part of mitosis but comes before it: the cell grows in G1, copies its DNA in S phase and gets ready to divide in G2. Prophase: chromatin condenses into chromosomes, the nucleolus disappears and the centrosomes move apart as the spindle forms. Prometaphase: the nuclear envelope breaks up and spindle microtubules capture the chromosomes at their kinetochores. Metaphase: the chromosomes line up on the metaphase plate. Anaphase: sister chromatids separate and move to opposite poles. Telophase: the chromosomes decondense and a nuclear envelope forms around each set. Cytokinesis then divides the cytoplasm.

How to remember the phases (PMAT)

The usual memory aid is PMAT: Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase. Some textbooks, including OpenStax Biology 2e, split out a fifth phase, prometaphase, between prophase and metaphase; others fold it into late prophase. Both are correct, so use the version your course uses. Cytokinesis usually overlaps telophase and is counted as the last step of cell division rather than a phase of mitosis.

Why the daughter cells are identical

The DNA is copied once, in S phase, so each chromosome enters mitosis as two identical sister chromatids. In anaphase the two chromatids of every chromosome go to opposite poles, so each daughter cell gets one copy of each chromosome. In the diagram, both daughter cells end up with the same long and short, maternal and paternal chromosomes as the parent cell (2n = 4).

Mitosis in plant cells

The phases are the same in plant cells, but most plant cells have no centrosomes, and cytokinesis works differently: instead of a cleavage furrow, vesicles from the Golgi apparatus fuse at the old metaphase plate to build a cell plate, which becomes the new cell wall between the daughter cells.

Quick quiz

1. In which phase do sister chromatids separate?

Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Telophase

Answer: c) Anaphase. Cohesin is broken down in anaphase, so the chromatids of each chromosome move to opposite poles.

2. Where do chromosomes line up during metaphase?

At the centrosomes
On the metaphase plate
Along the cleavage furrow
Inside the nucleolus

Answer: b) On the metaphase plate. The metaphase plate is the plane midway between the two spindle poles.

3. When does the nuclear envelope break into fragments?

Interphase
Prometaphase
Anaphase
Cytokinesis

Answer: b) Prometaphase. In prometaphase the envelope breaks up so spindle microtubules can attach to the kinetochores.

4. A cell with 4 chromosomes divides by mitosis. How many chromosomes does each daughter cell have?

Answer: b) 4. Mitosis keeps the chromosome number the same, so each daughter cell has 4.

5. What forms the cleavage furrow in an animal cell?

A cell plate
A contractile ring of actin filaments
The nuclear envelope
Kinetochore microtubules

Answer: b) A contractile ring of actin filaments. A ring of actin filaments contracts just inside the membrane and pinches the cell in two.

Frequently asked questions

What are the stages of mitosis in order?

Prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase, followed by cytokinesis. Interphase comes before mitosis. Courses that use four phases (PMAT) count prometaphase as part of prophase.

What should be labeled on a mitosis diagram?

Label each phase, then the structures: chromatin, nucleolus, nuclear envelope, chromosome, sister chromatids, centromere, centrosome, spindle fibres, metaphase plate and, for an animal cell, the cleavage furrow.

What happens in anaphase, and what should I label?

In anaphase the sister chromatids of each chromosome separate and are pulled to opposite poles by the spindle fibres. Label the separating chromatids (now called chromosomes), the spindle fibres and the centrosomes at each pole.

How do you tell metaphase from anaphase in a diagram?

In metaphase the X-shaped chromosomes sit in one line across the middle of the cell. In anaphase there are two groups of single, V-shaped chromatids moving toward the two ends of a longer cell.

How many chromosomes does each daughter cell get?

The same number as the parent cell. The diagram starts with four chromosomes (2n = 4) and each daughter cell ends with four; a human body cell starts and ends with 46.

Is interphase part of mitosis?

No. Interphase is the longer part of the cell cycle when the cell grows and copies its DNA. Mitosis and cytokinesis together make up the mitotic phase.

Is this mitosis diagram free to use?

Yes. The labeled, unlabeled and blank worksheet versions are free to download and reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit to LabCanvas.

Sources

Facts on this page follow these introductory textbooks (OpenStax, CC BY 4.0). The diagram is a simplified illustration; organelles are not drawn to scale.