The diagram above is an illustration of a stage in a biological process. Study it and answer this question What stage of cell division is illustrated in the...

Answer Details

The stage of cell division illustrated in the diagram is Metaphase. Metaphase is the second stage of mitosis, which is the process of cell division that results in the formation of two daughter cells from a single parent cell. In metaphase, the chromosomes, which were duplicated in the previous stage (prophase), line up along the equator of the cell, called the metaphase plate. In the diagram, we can see that the chromosomes are aligned in the middle of the cell, which is characteristic of metaphase. The spindle fibers, which attach to the centromeres of the chromosomes and pull them apart in the next stage (anaphase), are also visible in the diagram. During metaphase, the chromosomes are at their most condensed and visible under a microscope. This allows for the accurate separation of genetic material between the two daughter cells during the subsequent stages of cell division. After metaphase, the cell progresses to anaphase, where the spindle fibers pull the sister chromatids of each chromosome apart to opposite poles of the cell. Finally, in telophase, the cell divides into two daughter cells, each with its own set of chromosomes.