most eukaryotic cells follow a process of growth and division called the cell cycle these events include a growth stage mitosis or nuclear division and cyto canis or division of the cytoplasm throughout interphase the cell is engaged in growth and metabolic activities interphase can be further broken down into three discrete phases called G1 S and G G2 during the G1 or first growth phase normal cell functions occur as well as cell growth in the S phase DNA replicates producing two copies of each chromosome during the G2 phase the cell continues to prepare for mitosis and cell division mitosis or the mphase has four stages prophase metaphase anaphase and tase during prophase the chromosomes become visible and condense becoming shorter and thicker each identical copy of a single chromosome is called a sister chromatid the nuclear envelope breaks down and spindle fibers form as microtubules grow out of the centrioles that move to opposite poles of the cell during metaphase the double stranded chromosomes line up along the Equator of the cell the spindle is now fully formed and the microtubules attach to each sister chromatid anaphase begins when the sister chromatids of each chromosome begin to separate the centrom Mir that holds sister chromatids together divides and the chromosomes move away from each other along its spindle fiber in tase the two groups of chromosomes reach the opposite ends of the cell as a new nuclear envelope starts to form around each group the chromosomes uncoil and the spindle disappears the division of the cytoplasm and organel is called cyto canis or the cphase the result of mitosis and cyto canis is the formation of two genetically identical cells to summarize the entire cycle G1 add and G2 phases occur during interphase while the cell is growing and preparing to divide mitosis or the division of the nucleus consists of four phases prophase metaphase anaphase and tilas and in these phases duplicate copies of the chromosomes are split equally finally the cell cytoplasm divides during cyto inesis and results in the formation of two genetically identical daughter cells