The Life of a Cell
The life of a cell is very complex. It is a cycle that ends where it begins. When you were conceived you consisted of only one cell. Now you are made of more than six trillion cells.
In order for one cell to become many cells, it has to grow and divide many times. Each time it does this the number of cells doubles. The division of the cell is called Mitosis .
Cells spend most of their time in Interphase . During this part of their life cells grow and develop. They also make an extra copy of their DNA .
Now the cell is ready to divide. The first phase of Mitosis is called Prophase . During Prophase the nucleus of a cell disappears and the DNA forms into tightly packed structures called chromosomes .
The next phase is called Metaphase. During Metaphase the chromosomes line up in the middle of the cell. Strands called spindle fibers attach to each chromosome.
The next phase is called Anaphase . During Anaphase, the spindle fibers pull the chromosomes apart and drag them to opposite sides of the cell.
The final stages are called Telophase and Cytokinesis . During Telophase the spindle fibers disappear and two new nuclei form around the sister Chromosomes . During Cytokinesis the cell memrane pinches tother and forms two new cells.
The cycle is complete and it can now start all over again. New cells are being made every day and the life of a cell goes on and on.