# Mitosis diagram with labels > Free labeled mitosis diagram: interphase, prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase and cytokinesis, plus a blank worksheet and quiz. URL: https://www.labcanvas.com/diagrams/mitosis-diagram 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 Free download Labelled and unlabelled Printable worksheet CC BY 4.0 Labelled Unlabelled Worksheet ![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.](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/mitosis-diagram/mitosis-diagram-labeled.svg) ![Mitosis diagram without labels](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/mitosis-diagram/mitosis-diagram-unlabeled.svg) ![Mitosis labelling worksheet with numbered blanks](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/mitosis-diagram/mitosis-diagram-worksheet.svg) Mitosis diagram by LabCanvas (labcanvas.com), CC BY 4.0 ## Download the mitosis diagram [**Labelled (SVG)** Vector, sharp at any size](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/mitosis-diagram/mitosis-diagram-labeled.svg)[**Labelled (PNG)** 3200 px, transparent background](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/mitosis-diagram/mitosis-diagram-labeled.png)[**Unlabelled (SVG)** Vector, sharp at any size](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/mitosis-diagram/mitosis-diagram-unlabeled.svg)[**Unlabelled (PNG)** 3200 px, transparent background](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/mitosis-diagram/mitosis-diagram-unlabeled.png)[**Worksheet (PNG)** 3200 px, transparent background](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/mitosis-diagram/mitosis-diagram-worksheet.png)[**Worksheet + answer key (PDF)** A4, ready to print](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/mitosis-diagram/mitosis-diagram-worksheet.pdf)[**Edit it in LabCanvas** Change colours, labels and layout](https://www.labcanvas.com/editor.html?diagram=mitosis-diagram) Free to use in homework, teaching, slides, posters and publications under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Please credit: `Mitosis diagram by LabCanvas (labcanvas.com), CC BY 4.0` ## Parts of the mitosis and what they do | # | 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 order** Draw 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 it** Use 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 shape** Interphase gets loose squiggles of chromatin and a nucleolus; prophase gets X-shaped chromosomes inside a nucleus; prometaphase and metaphase lose the nucleus. **Add the spindle** Put 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 chromatids** In 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 label** Re-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?** - 2 - 4 - 8 - 16 **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 - [OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle](https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/10-2-the-cell-cycle) - [OpenStax Biology 2e, 11.1 The Process of Meiosis](https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/11-1-the-process-of-meiosis) - [OpenStax Biology 2e, Chapter 10 summary](https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/10-chapter-summary) 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. ## More free diagrams [![Labeled diagram of meiosis with two homologous chromosome pairs (maternal red, paternal blue). Meiosis I: prophase I (tetrad, crossing over, nuclear envelope), metaphase I (homologous chromosomes on the metaphase plate), anaphase I (spindle fibres, centrosome) and telophase I (cleavage furrow). Meiosis II: prophase II, metaphase II (sister chromatids), anaphase II and telophase II, ending in four haploid daughter cells with swapped chromosome segments.](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/meiosis-diagram/meiosis-diagram.webp) Meiosis diagram](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagrams/meiosis-diagram) [![Labelled cell cycle diagram drawn as a wheel: interphase with G1 phase, S phase and G2 phase takes most of the circle, and the M phase with mitosis and cytokinesis a smaller arc, with arrows showing the direction. G0 phase branches off G1. Stop signs mark the G1/S checkpoint, G2/M checkpoint and spindle checkpoint. Small sketches show a cell growing, DNA replicating, a cell preparing to divide, chromosomes lined up on the spindle and the cytoplasm dividing.](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/cell-cycle-diagram/cell-cycle-diagram.webp) Cell cycle diagram](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagrams/cell-cycle-diagram) [![Labelled animal cell diagram: a rounded cell showing the plasma membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus with nucleolus and a nuclear envelope with pores, rough ER, smooth ER, Golgi apparatus, vesicles, mitochondria, lysosome, peroxisome, centrosome with two centrioles, cytoskeleton fibres and ribosomes.](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/animal-cell-diagram/animal-cell-diagram.webp) Animal cell diagram](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagrams/animal-cell-diagram) [![Labelled plant cell diagram: a box-shaped cell showing the cell wall with plasmodesmata, cell (plasma) membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus with nucleolus and nuclear envelope, rough ER, smooth ER, Golgi apparatus, ribosomes, mitochondrion, peroxisome, chloroplasts with grana, and a large central vacuole bounded by the tonoplast.](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagram-files/plant-cell-diagram/plant-cell-diagram.webp) Plant cell diagram](https://www.labcanvas.com/diagrams/plant-cell-diagram) ## Make your own science diagrams LabCanvas is a browser workspace for scientific figures, slides and posters, with adjustable cells, organelles and molecules. 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