The activity on this page has been designed by educational experts to help you to understand the three stages of mitosis. Interact with the activity to see the mitosis phases and descriptions.
What is mitosis?
Mitosis is a type of cell division where cells divide to produce new cells.
Mitosis is the process that takes place when:
an organism grows
an organism becomes damaged and needs to produce new cells
organisms like bacteria reproduce Reproduction that does not involve sex cells.
How many cells are formed as a result of mitosis?
Mitosis will produce two daughter cells which are genetically identical to the parent cell. If this is a human cell, it will contain all 46 chromosomes with the full DNA to make an exact copy of that person.
The time taken for the full cell cycle depends on the cells involved and the life stage of the organism. When an An organism in the early stages of development. is developing, the cycle can be very short but is typically much longer in adult cells. Throughout our lives the cells in our bodies, such as skin cells and blood cells, will be constantly replaced by mitosis.
Mitosis - interactive activity
This interactive activity enables you to see what is happening inside the cell as it progresses through the stages of mitosis.
What are the stages of the cell cycle?
Let's go through the stages of cell division. Use the interactive activity as a visual reference point.
The first stage: Interphase
Interphase is the longest stage of the cell cycle. DNA replicates to form two copies of each chromosome, ready for cell division. This then produces new sub-cellular structures such as mitochondria, ribosomes and chloroplasts.
The second stage: Mitosis
During this stage, one set of chromosomes is pulled to the sides of the cell and the nucleus divides.
The phases of mitosis are known as prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. You do not need to learn these terms.
The third stage: Cytokinesis
Cytokinesis is where the cytoplasm and cell membranes divide to form two identical daughter cells.
Where can I learn more about cell division and the cell cycle?
Explore the BBC Bitesize study guide about cell division for explainer text, diagrams, videos and more GCSE biology revision materials.
You can also learn more about meiosis, the other type of cell division, to help you understand the difference between mitosis and meiosis.
To help you revise on the go, BBC Bitesize and BBC Sounds have developed a series of GCSE revision podcasts, covering a wide range of GCSE biology topics. Listen to the series about the cell or jump to the episode about mitosis and meiosis.
Where can I test my knowledge of mitosis and cell division?
There are lots of ways to test yourself on cell division and practise your skills with Bitesize, including:
An interactive quiz about cell division with graphics and videos to aid your understanding.
A ten-question quiz on cell division with numerous questions focusing on mitosis.
Sample exam questions covering cell biology with advice for multiple choice, structured, mathematical and practical questions.
Bitesize also has lots of general AQA biology test pages, including:
Exam practice quizzes based on GCSE biology past papers.
Quick-fire quizzes with different GCSE biology questions each time you return.
Topic-based exam practice questions based on past papers, allowing you to choose the GCSE biology topic you want to focus on.